14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi shatters world records with 63-ball blitz in Benoni
At just 14, Indian prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has astounded cricket fans with his record-breaking performances. During the final Youth ODI against South Africa U-19, he scored 127 runs off 73 balls
Last Updated: 04.37 PM, Jan 07, 2026
They call him a prodigy, but at this point, the term feels like an understatement. In a display of sheer batting audacity that has left the global cricketing community in awe, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has once again rewritten the history books. On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, during the third and final Youth ODI against South Africa U-19 at Willowmoore Park, the Indian captain didn't just score a century; he staged a hostile takeover of the record books. Blasting a 63-ball hundred, Suryavanshi led India to an unassailable position, sending a deafening warning to the world ahead of the U-19 World Cup.
A captain’s knock for the ages
Stepping out as the youngest-ever captain in Youth ODI history (14 years, 282 days), Suryavanshi played with the freedom of a veteran and the fearlessness of youth. Opening the innings alongside Aaron George, the left-hander turned the South African bowling attack into a mere spectator.
The numbers from his stay at the crease are staggering:
Suryavanshi and George (who scored a magnificent 114 of his own) stitched together a 227-run opening stand in just 25.4 overs. The partnership was so clinical that it briefly put Australia’s all-time Youth ODI total of 480 under threat.
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Predestined for greatness
This isn't an isolated incident of brilliance. Suryavanshi’s 2025–2026 season has been nothing short of a "Glitch in the Matrix." Just days ago, in the second ODI, he demolished the Proteas with a 24-ball 68, hitting 10 sixes in a single knock.
With today's effort, he has added several new feathers to his cap:
The road to the World Cup
With the U-19 World Cup set to begin on January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia, Suryavanshi has firmly established himself as the tournament's "MVP-elect." His ability to balance raw aggression with tactical maturity, tempering his attack after reaching fifty before launching again, suggests a cricketing brain far beyond his years.
For South Africa, it was a day of "head in hands." Despite choosing to bowl first to exploit early morning moisture, they found no answers to the Suryavanshi storm. By the time Ntandoyenkosi Soni finally induced a mishit to deep square leg to dismiss the skipper for 127, the damage was irreversible.