Former CSK star’s son matches Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s feat for England

Dubai: Just days after Indian sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi blasted the fastest-ever Youth ODI century, England’s Rocky Flintoff responded with a memorable hundred of his own — matching the Indian teen prodigy in grit and flair.

The 17-year-old son of former England and Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Andrew Flintoff struck 107 off 91 balls in the fourth Youth ODI at Worcester on Saturday. While England fell short in their chase of India’s 363, Flintoff’s knock stood out for its maturity, timing, and shades of his father’s trademark aggression.

Suryavanshi, 14, had stolen the headlines earlier in the match with a blistering 143 from just 78 balls — reaching his century in a record-breaking 52 deliveries to propel India to a series-clinching 55-run win. But it was Flintoff who turned heads in reply, showcasing England’s own next-gen talent.

Starting watchfully, Rocky was 13 off 20 balls before launching into leg-spinner Naman Pushpak with a towering straight six. He then took 12 runs off one Deepesh Devendran over to shift gears and reached his half-century in 41 balls. Flintoff brought up his maiden Youth ODI century in 88 balls, eventually falling as the ninth wicket in England’s total of 308.

It was his second century for England U19s across formats, following a 106 against Sri Lanka in a Youth Test last year.

While Vaibhav and Vihaan Malhotra’s 219-run second-wicket stand helped India pile up a daunting total, Flintoff found little support from his middle order. England suffered from three run-outs, including skipper Thomas Ryu’s unfortunate dismissal at the non-striker’s end, which derailed the chase despite a promising start.

Rocky Flintoff’s rise comes alongside that of his older brother Corey, who signed a two-year rookie deal with Kent earlier this year. A fast-bowling all-rounder like his father, Corey debuted for Kent in pre-season and could come up against Rocky this summer in the County Championship Division Two.

The younger Flintoff already made waves last winter by breaking his father’s England Lions record, becoming the youngest player to hit a century for the side — reaching three figures against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane, with Freddie himself coaching the squad.

Freddie Flintoff, who made over 200 appearances for England and briefly turned out for Chennai Super Kings in 2009, has returned to the public eye in recent months. Following his recovery from a high-speed crash during filming Top Gear, he reportedly wrapped up filming for the third season of his hit BBC show Field of Dreams, which takes aspiring cricketers on transformative journeys — including a tour of India.

Now, it’s Rocky who’s on a journey of his own — and judging by his latest innings, the Flintoff legacy is only just beginning.