Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes maiden T20I fifty off 18 balls vs Zimbabwe

India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blasted his maiden international half-century, racing to the milestone in just 18 balls against Zimbabwe in the first T20I on Thursday. The 15-year-old, who struck four fours and four sixes, was dismissed off the very next delivery.

Fresh from a breakout IPL campaign, Sooryavanshi earned a place in India’s T20I squads for the Ireland and England tours. Though he did not feature in the two-match series in Belfast, he made his international debut in the second T20I against England in Manchester, becoming India’s youngest-ever international cricketer.

He featured in the next three matches but managed only modest scores before being left out of the fifth and final T20I, with Sanju Samson returning to the XI. India eventually lost the series 0-4.

Sooryavanshi had already announced himself on the global stage during India’s triumphant Under-19 World Cup campaign in February. The left-hander hammered a breathtaking 175 off just 80 balls against England in the final, powering India to the title and cementing his reputation as one of the country’s brightest batting prospects.

Published on Jul 23, 2026