India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued his blistering run of form ahead of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, smashing a breathtaking 96 off 50 balls against Scotland Under-19 in a warm-up match at the Bulawayo Athletic Club on Saturday.
The 14-year-old opener was at his destructive best, hammering nine fours and seven sixes to put the Scotland attack under sustained pressure. Suryavanshi added 70 runs for the opening wicket in just 42 balls with captain Ayush Mhatre (22 off 19) before stitching together a 78-run stand for the second wicket with Aaron George (61 off 58) off 56 deliveries.
He brought up his half-century off just 27 balls, reaching the milestone with a towering six, but fell agonisingly short of a deserved hundred when he was dismissed for 96 by Manu Saraswat.
Suryavanshi has been in outstanding form in the lead-up to the World Cup. He recently captained India Under-19 to a 3-0 whitewash of South Africa Under-19, finishing the series as the top run-scorer with 206 runs at an average of 68.66 and a strike rate of 187.27, including a century and a half-century. He signed off the series with a sensational 127 off 74 balls, featuring nine fours and ten sixes.
Riding on Suryavanshi’s explosive start, India piled up a formidable 374/8 against Scotland. Vihaan Malhotra (77 off 81), Abhigyan Kundu (55 off 48) and Aaron George ensured the momentum was maintained through the middle order.
For Scotland, Ollie Jones was the standout bowler with figures of 4/70 from his ten overs.
India will begin their Under-19 World Cup campaign against the USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, New Zealand and the USA, India enter the tournament as the most successful side in Under-19 World Cup history, with five titles.
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