India A thrash UAE as Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes stunning 144

Doha: Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi lit up the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 on Friday with an astonishing display of hitting, powering India A to a massive 148-run win over UAE in their opening match in Doha. His breathtaking 144 off just 42 balls set up one of India’s biggest totals in men’s T20 cricket as India A piled up 297 for 4 before cruising to victory.

Suryavanshi’s knock was the standout moment of the day. The young left-hander smashed 11 fours and 15 sixes, finishing with a strike rate that touched an incredible 342. His 32-ball hundred is now the joint-second fastest for an Indian in men’s T20s, putting him level with Rishabh Pant and only behind the 28-ball centuries scored by Urvil Patel and Abhishek Sharma.

He also set a remarkable age record: at 14 years and 232 days, he is now the youngest male cricketer to score a senior-level century for a national side. The previous record belonged to Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim, who was 16 when he reached the milestone in 2005.

This was Suryavanshi’s second T20 hundred, following his 35-ball blitz for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 — the knock that made him the youngest centurion in IPL history.

Suryavanshi was given a lifeline when he was dropped off the first ball he faced — and UAE paid the price. He raced to a fifty in just 17 balls and continued to clear the ropes with ease. His 163-run second-wicket partnership with Naman Dhir (34) came in only 57 balls and completely shifted the game in India A’s favour.

After Suryavanshi fell in the 13th over, captain Jitesh Sharma kept the pressure on with a blistering 83 not out from 32 deliveries. At one stage, India looked set to become only the fifth team in men’s T20 cricket to cross 300, but they finished just short at 297 — still one of the format’s biggest totals.

UAE’s chase never got going. Shoaib Khan fought hard with 63 off 41 balls, but regular wickets meant the home side stayed well behind the required rate. Gurjapneet Singh was the pick of the bowlers for India A, returning figures of 3 for 18 as UAE ended on 149 for 7.

It was a complete performance from India A, who now carry strong momentum into the next leg of the tournament.

Brief scores: