Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breaks Sachin Tendulkar record with T20I half-century

Indian opening batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a half-century in Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket on Friday, 24 July, breaking a long-standing age record previously held by Sachin Tendulkar. The 15-year-old achieved the feat while playing for the India Under-19 team against Thailand in the ACC Men’s U19 T20 Premier Cup. Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in 23 deliveries, eventually finishing with 68 runs from 34 balls. At 15 years and 119 days old, he surpasses the milestone set by Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, who became the youngest Indian to score an international half-century at 16 years and 214 days during a Test match against Pakistan in 1989. The left-hander's innings included seven boundaries and four sixes, providing the foundation for India’s total of 215 for 5. Data and record breakdown The young opener, who hails from Bihar, previously made headlines as the youngest player to debut in the Ranji Trophy since 1986. His performance on Friday, 24 July, also places him ahead of Nepal’s Kushal Malla, who held the previous world record for the youngest male player to score a T20I fifty at 15 years and 340 days. The record comes during a period of high-intensity regional youth cricket, as teams prepare for upcoming age-group World Cup qualifiers. This record-breaking innings is significant for the UAE residency and sporting community as regional scouts and academies increasingly monitor South Asian youth leagues for talent.…