A Teenage Tornado Tears Through UAE in ACC Rising Stars Opener
The West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar, witnessed a jaw-dropping exhibition of power-hitting on Friday, November 14, 2025, as 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi inaugurated his India ‘A’ career with a spectacular, record-equaling century against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the second match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025, a tournament specifically designed to unearth and showcase Asia’s next generation of cricketers, Suryavanshi ensured the global cricketing community sat up and took immediate notice.
Winning the toss, India ‘A’ captain Jitesh Sharma made the straightforward decision to bat first, setting the stage for the youthful Indian lineup to put up a daunting total. The opening partnership, featuring the highly-rated Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya, was expected to be aggressive, but few could have predicted the sheer velocity of the carnage that was about to unfold.
The Early Warning and The Missed Opportunity
The innings did not begin without drama. On the very first ball he faced, off the bowling of Muhammad Farazuddin, Suryavanshi edged a delivery that flew wide and hard to a UAE fielder at cover. The regulation chance was grassed, and it was a moment the UAE captain, Alishan Sharafu, and his team would rue for the rest of the day. The Gods of cricket, it seemed, were on the side of the young batter, and he wasted no time in making the opposition pay a truly colossal price for their error.
After the early loss of his opening partner, Priyansh Arya (10 off 6), to a run-out in the second over, Suryavanshi found a stable and supportive partner in Naman Dhir. From this point onward, the match transformed from a contest into a showcase of one-sided devastation.
The Lightning-Fast Milestones
Suryavanshi, known for his attacking style and clean hitting, unleashed an unrelenting assault. The ball was either middled with astonishing regularity or missed entirely; there was no in-between. He reached his half-century in a mere 17 balls, a blistering start that set the tone for the entire innings. The carnage continued unabated, with the UAE bowlers visibly wilting under the pressure of his audacious strokeplay.
The landmark moment arrived in the 10th over when Suryavanshi hammered the ball to the boundary, completing a sensational 32-ball century. This milestone saw him equal the effort of Rishabh Pant for the joint third-fastest T20 century by an Indian, placing him among the elite power-hitters of the format. The sheer speed of his hundred—achieved with a strike rate well over 300—was indicative of a batter playing at a different tempo entirely.
An Unstoppable Barrage of Boundaries
The 14-year-old was relentless, treating both pace and spin with equal contempt. He repeatedly used his feet against the spinners, launching the ball with minimal effort over the long-off and mid-wicket boundaries for towering sixes. The pacers were met with powerful pulls, drives, and cuts that screamed to the ropes.
His wagon wheel was a testament to his 360-degree ability, but the statistics of his innings speak loudest: a staggering 15 sixes and 11 fours. This meant a remarkable 124 of his runs came exclusively from boundaries, a truly phenomenal rate of scoring. His partnership with Naman Dhir, who played an essential supporting role with a breezy 34 off 23 balls, ensured the run rate remained stratospheric. The duo added a colossal 163 runs for the second wicket, effectively taking the game out of UAE’s reach before the halfway mark of the innings.
Even fans overseas were hooked. Many of them – including those following matches and friendly predictions on a betting app in Nepal, where cricket fandom is exploding – couldn’t believe what they were watching.
The Final Score and Lasting Impression
Suryavanshi’s spectacular innings finally came to an end in the 13th over when he was dismissed for an unimaginable 144 runs off just 42 balls, a strike rate of 342.86. He departed to a well-deserved standing ovation from the Doha crowd, having secured a place for himself in the headlines of international cricket.
His innings laid the foundation for India ‘A’ to post a monumental total. While the final match result still awaited conclusion, the headline had already been written. At just 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the youngest player in the tournament, delivered a statement innings, confirming the immense buzz that has surrounded his career since his debut in the IPL earlier this year. It was an innings of total dominance, proving that age is merely a number when matched with exceptional talent and fearless intent.
