Thirteen-year-old cricketing prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued to make headlines in the U19 Asia Cup, showcasing his immense talent in the second semi-final as they defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets with 170 balls to spare to reach the final. The left-handed batter played a blistering knock of 67 runs off just 36 balls. Suryavanshi became the youngest-ever player to be signed in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after being picked by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore. India’s bowlers set the tone in the semi-final by restricting Sri Lanka to a modest 173 in 47 overs. Chetan Sharma led the attack with three wickets, while Kiran Chormale and Ayush Mhatre chipped in with two wickets apiece.

Chasing 174, Suryavanshi wasted no time in dismantling Sri Lanka’s bowling attack. The young opener reached his half-century in just 24 balls, punishing the bowlers with six boundaries and five towering sixes. His fearless intent was evident as India smashed 31 runs in the second over, setting the stage for an emphatic chase.

Contributions from Ayush Mhatre (34), Mohammed Amaan (26*), and KP Karthikeya (11*) sealed India’s spot in the final in just 23.2 overs.

Suryavanshi’s Asia Cup journey began on a quiet note, with scores of 1 and 23 against Pakistan and Japan in the group stages. However, he bounced back in style with an unbeaten 76 in the final group-stage match against UAE, a performance that carried over into his match-winning innings against Sri Lanka.

India will now face defending champions Bangladesh in the final in the hope of clinching their ninth title.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka U19 173/10 in 46.2 overs (Lakvin Abeysinghe 69, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 42; Chetan Sharma 3-34, Kiran Chormale 2-32) lost to India U19 (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 67, Ayush Mhatre 34; Praveen Maneesha 1-27, Vihas Thewmika 1-33) by seven wickets.