India vs Bangladesh, U19 Asia Cup Final, Live Score Updates© X (Twitter)

Vaibhav Suryanshi. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the star of the show again with a second successive half-century as India stormed into the U-19 Asia Cup ODI final with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Friday (December 6, 2024).

The 13-year-old, who became the youngest cricketer ever to be bought at an IPL auction last month, smashed five sixes and six fours for his 36-ball 67 as India chased down a target of 174 with as many as 170 balls to spare.

India will face Bangladesh in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets, completing a modest chase of 117 in 22.1 overs in the first semi-final in Dubai.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka could only manage 173 in 46.2 overs despite a valiant effort from Lakvin Abeysinghe (69 off 110) and Sharujan Shanmuganathan (42 off 78).

Their innings struggled to gain momentum as Indian bowlers were in full control with Chetan Sharma (3/34), Kiran Chormale (2/32), and Ayush Mhatre (2/37) wreaking havoc in the middle overs.

India’s chase was built on a solid foundation laid by Ayush Mhatre (34 off 28) as he put on a stand of 91 with Suryavanshi for the opening wicket.

The young left-hander from Bihar troubled the Sri Lankan bowlers from the beginning as he started with consecutive sixes and a boundary off Sigera, who ended up giving away 31 runs in his opening over.

Mhatre too played his strokes at the other end as the duo raced to 87 for no loss in eight overs before Vihas Thewmika gave Sri Lanka their first breakthrough by removing the batter.

But Suryavanshi showed remarkable maturity as he kept the run-rate ticking despite losing his opening partner, forging another crucial association with C Andre Siddharth (22).

Skipper Mohamed Amaan (25 not out) and KP Karthikeya (11 not out) then completed the chase.

Brief Scores

Sri Lanka 173; 46.2 overs (Lakvin Abeysinghe 69, Sharujan Shanmuganathan 42; Chetan Sharma 3/34, Kiran Chormale 2/32, Ayush Mhatre 2/37) lost to India 175/3; 21.4 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 67, Mhatre 34, Mohamed Amaan 25 not out) by seven wickets.

India vs Sri Lanka, U19 Asia Cup 2024 Semi-Final, Live Updates© X (Twitter)

India vs Sri Lanka U19 Asia Cup 2024 2nd Semi-Final, Live Streaming: India will be taking on Sri Lanka in the semi-final of the U19 Asia Cup 2024 on Friday in Sharjah. India entered the semis after thrashing the hosts United Arab Emirates by 10 wickets in their previous clash. Both the teams will now be looking to put their best foot forward, in order to reach the final. Earlier, chasing 137, Vaibhav Suryavanshi (76*) and Ayush Mhatre (67*) added an unbeaten 143 to see India across the line in just 16.1 overs.

UAE were bowled out for 137 with six overs to spare, having opted to bat first. Muhammad Rayan top scored with 35 while Akshat Rai managed to chip in with a crucial 26. For India, Yudajit Guha bagged three while Chetan Sharma and Hardik Raj took two each.

When will the India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match take place?

The India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match will take place on Friday, December 06.

Where will the India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match be held?

The India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match will be held at Sharjah.

What time will the India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match start?

The India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match will start at 10:30 AM IST.

Which TV channels will live telecast the India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match?

The India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match will be telecast live on the Sony Sports network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match?

The India vs Sri Lanka, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024 semi-final match will be streamed live on the SonyLIV app and website.

(All details are as per information provided by the broadcaster)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (left) and Ayush Mhatre during India’s U19 Asia Cup 2024 match vs UAE.© X/@ACCMedia1

India vs Japan, ACC U19 Asia Cup 2024, Live Updates:© X (Twitter)

Live IND vs PAK U19 Asia Cup 2024© X/@ACCMedia1

Cricket’s commercial behemoth, the IPL, raised the bar once again, generating eye-popping bids for the likes of Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer besides providing the opportunity of a lifetime to first-timers including 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

The mega auction’s venue, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, also added to the growing global appeal of the league as 182 players were sold over the two-day event.

PTI looks at how the 10 teams stack up following a memorable auction.

Delhi Capitals: Delhi Capitals, who surprisingly let go of their marquee player Pant, bought 19 players in the auction after retaining four including Axar Patel, Jake Fraser McGurk, Kuldeep Yadav and Abhishek Porel.

At ₹14 crore, their most expensive buy was KL Rahul who will be expected to open the batting alongside Fraser McGurk.

There is no denying the class of Rahul but his strike rate has come under the scanner season after season. It remains to be seen if he ends up leading the franchise.

Their playing composition looks sorted but they don’t have a lot of proven back up players in the middle-order.

The fast bowling has been bolstered with the arrival of Mitchell Starc and T Natarajan while the front-line spinners include the retained Axar and Kuldeep.

Mumbai Indians: Having spent a majority of their purse on five retained players including Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, the five-time champions have their Indian core all figured out.

Considering Mumbai spent ₹75 crore for their retentions, they were relatively quiet on day one of the auction before going for established fast bowlers on the concluding day.

Their biggest buy was New Zealand veteran Trent Boult (₹12.5), followed by injury-prone Deepak Chahar (₹9.25 crore).

The team has brought in English batter Will Jacks to offset Tim David’s departure. Following Ishan Kishan’s departure, the franchise doesn’t have a proven force to open alongside Rohit Sharma.

South African Ryan Rickelton is set to open the batting alongside the World Cup winning skipper.

Lucknow Super Giants: LSG purchased 19 players in the auction after retaining five including Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Ayush Badoni.

They were the ones who made a record bid of ₹27 crore for Rishabh Pant who is set to captain the franchise.

Pant was by far their costliest buy with Avesh Khan (₹9.75 crore) and Akash Deep (₹8 crore) a distant second and third respectively. The likely opening pairing of Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram is not the strongest in the competition, putting more responsibility on Pant and Pooran.

The fitness of their retained pacers Mohsin and Mayank over the course of 14 games also poses questions.

Rajasthan Royals: Royals were not the busiest team at the auction, having bought 14 players to go with its six retentions, the joint highest alongside KKR.

The retained players included five batters and only one bowler in Sandeep Sharma, therefore it wasn’t a surprise they tried to shore up that department.

Their most expensive buy at the auction — Jofra Archer at ₹12.5 crore — was a questionable one with perennial questions surrounding his fitness.

Royals would be hoping that he lives up to the potential come IPL 2025.

They let go of their star Indian spinners in Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin, leaving a huge void, which is now expected to be filled by Sri Lankans Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga. Like Archer, even Hasaranga is injury-prone.

Also under the spotlight would be Suryavanshi, the 13-year-old batter from Bihar. He might not start the tournament but could get an opportunity down the line. He made his first-class debut at the age of 12, a testament to his rare talent.

Punjab Kings: Having retained just two uncapped players, Punjab Kings expectedly went on a shopping spree and ended up buying 23 players to hit the upper limit of squad size. The biggest buy was IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer at ₹26.75 crore and in all likelihood, he will lead the side.

Having under-performed consistently since IPL’s inception, Punjab are banking on new head coach Ricky Ponting for a much awaited change in fortunes.

Besides Arshdeep Singh, they don’t have an established Indian fast bowler, leaving a lot for New Zealander Lockie Ferguson and all-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Marco Jansen.

Spin duties will be shared by Chahal and Harpreet Brar. Young Delhi batter Priyansh Arya also fetched a life changing contract from Punjab Kings and would be desperate for an opportunity.

Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR bought 15 players at the auction and their most debatable purchase was Venkatesh Iyer at a whopping ₹23.75 crore.

The team benefitted from his ultra aggressive approach with the bat last season when it captured its third title.

KKR retained majority of the performers last season but will be interesting to see who captains the side following Iyer’s improbable exit. Venkatesh could be a potential captain if KKR decide to name an Indian leader.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Like KKR, SRH also impressed with their approach in the previous edition and ended up retaining their core including Abhishek Sharma, Pat Cummins, Travis Head, Nitish Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen.

The Cummins led side was able to get the players they wanted at a good price and they included Ishan Kishan (₹11.25 crore), Mohammed Shami (₹10 crore), Harshal Patel (₹8 crore) and Adam Zampa (₹2.40 crore).

They also have decent back up for Indian pacers and Rahul Chahar is another effective leg-spin option alongside Zampa.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: RCB retained three players — Virat Kohli, Yash Dayal and Rajat Patidar — leaving them with a lot to do at the auction. They did not have a very productive opening day but caught up on day two. Fast bowling has been the weaker link for RCB over the years and they have tried to fix that with signing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The heavy English flavour to the squad is provided by Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell and Phillp Salt. Their superstar, Kohli, could be seen captaining the unit once again as RCB chase the elusive crown.

Gujarat Titans: After retaining five players, Gujarat bought 20 players to reach the maximum squad limit. The buying featured plenty of fast bowlers including Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Mohammed Siraj, Ishant Sharma and Prasidh Krishna.

Jos Buttler was one headline buy and he is expected to open alongside skipper Shubman Gill.

The middle-order doesn’t posses the firepower possessed by other teams, putting the onus on retained Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan.

Chennai Super Kings: CSK are known for their value buys at the auction and tend to go after the players they were unable to retain. Therefore, it wasn’t a surprise to see Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra being bought back for ₹6.25 crore and ₹4 crore respectively. The other bargain buys included Sam Curran (₹2.40 crore) and Rahul Tripathi (₹3.40 crore).

R Ashwin’s return to CSK attracted most attention as he went for ₹9.75 crore.

Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid feels that the franchise would be able to provide 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi with “a good environment” for his upcoming stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The eighth standard student from Bihar’s Samastipur was picked up by the franchise for Rs. 1.10 crore, making him the youngest cricketer to earn an IPL contract. “I think he’s (Suryavanshi) got some really good skills, so we thought it might be a good environment for him to grow in. Vaibhav just came to our trials and we were really happy with what he saw,” said Dravid in an IPL video.

“Rajasthan Royals will be a good environment for Vaibhav Suryavanshi”

Head Coach Rahul Dravid speaks about the youngest Royal and the look of the #RR squad post the #TATAIPLAuction #TATAIPL | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/GuCNpWvgsD

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 26, 2024

Suryavanshi recently became the youngest batter to score an international century, having attained the feat in a Youth Test for India Under-19 versus Australia U-19 in Chennai, making 104 in just 62 deliveries.

He also made his T20 debut for Bihar in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy versus Rajasthan on Saturday, managing a 6-ball 13.

Having made an impact in the junior circuit, Suryavanshi has yet to play a meaningful knock in First-Class cricket, as he averages only 10 after five matches and has the best score of 41.

He hails from Samastipur and debuted at the age of 12 years and 284 days versus Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy last season, as he became the youngest player in the competition’s history.

Also, Suryavanshi was only 12 years old when playing in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar, aggregating nearly 400 runs in just five engagements.

“Big target for us in this auction really was bowlers”

Commenting further on RR’s outing in the auction, Dravid asserted that while the side had managed to retain its core before the auction, their primary target was to get good bowlers here.

Among the latest additions to their pace department are Akash Madhwal, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma and Kwena Maphaka.

As for the spinners, they have picked up Kumar Kartikeya Singh and Maheesh Theekshana, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Yudhvir Charak have come in as all-rounders.

“We came into this auction having retained a lot of our core Indian batsmen. A big target for us in this auction really was bowlers, showing that we did a really strong bowling attack. I think we achieved that,” Dravid explained.

“We got some really good bowlers, a couple of really good spinners, backed it up with a really good Indian spinner in Karthikeya. So, having someone like Jofra and his skills and unique skills, backed that up with a couple of left-handers.

“We like the change in angle, like the swing that both Faruqui and Mafaka bring for us. We really enjoyed the whole process, not only just the pure auction.

“There are ten, nine other teams and they’re all really well prepared and all come really well planned. You’ve got to be able to think on your feet, you’ve got to have plan A, B, C, D. Yeah, it was quite challenging at times, but it was great fun and I really enjoyed it.” 

Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid feels that the franchise would be able to provide 13-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi with “a good environment” for his upcoming stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The eighth standard student from Bihar’s Samastipur was picked up by the franchise for Rs. 1.10 crore, making him the youngest cricketer to earn an IPL contract. “I think he’s (Suryavanshi) got some really good skills, so we thought it might be a good environment for him to grow in. Vaibhav just came to our trials and we were really happy with what he saw,” said Dravid in an IPL video.

Suryavanshi recently became the youngest batter to score an international century, having attained the feat in a Youth Test for India Under-19 versus Australia U-19 in Chennai, making 104 in just 62 deliveries.

He also made his T20 debut for Bihar in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy versus Rajasthan on Saturday, managing a 6-ball 13.

Having made an impact in the junior circuit, Suryavanshi has yet to play a meaningful knock in First-Class cricket, as he averages only 10 after five matches and has the best score of 41.

He hails from Samastipur and debuted at the age of 12 years and 284 days versus Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy last season, as he became the youngest player in the competition’s history.

Also, Suryavanshi was only 12 years old when playing in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy for Bihar, aggregating nearly 400 runs in just five engagements.

“Big target for us in this auction really was bowlers”

Commenting further on RR’s outing in the auction, Dravid asserted that while the side had managed to retain its core before the auction, their primary target was to get good bowlers here.

Among the latest additions to their pace department are Akash Madhwal, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ashok Sharma and Kwena Maphaka.

As for the spinners, they have picked up Kumar Kartikeya Singh and Maheesh Theekshana, while Wanindu Hasaranga and Yudhvir Charak have come in as all-rounders.

“We came into this auction having retained a lot of our core Indian batsmen. A big target for us in this auction really was bowlers, showing that we did a really strong bowling attack. I think we achieved that,” Dravid explained.

“We got some really good bowlers, a couple of really good spinners, backed it up with a really good Indian spinner in Karthikeya. So, having someone like Jofra and his skills and unique skills, backed that up with a couple of left-handers.

“We like the change in angle, like the swing that both Faruqui and Mafaka bring for us. We really enjoyed the whole process, not only just the pure auction.

“There are ten, nine other teams and they’re all really well prepared and all come really well planned. You’ve got to be able to think on your feet, you’ve got to have plan A, B, C, D. Yeah, it was quite challenging at times, but it was great fun and I really enjoyed it.”