A 15-year-old Indian cricketer has broken the record for the fastest half-century in List A 50-over cricket, hitting 50 in just 11 balls against Sri Lanka. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was the leading run-scorer in this year's Indian Premier League, played a stellar season, showcasing his exceptional skills with the bat, but was surprisingly overlooked for India's ODI squad against England.
Sooryavanshi's record-breaking feat surpassed the previous landmark set by Sri Lanka's Kaushalya Weeraratne, who needed 12 deliveries for a 50 in 2005. In the same match, he also hit 94 off 29 balls, including 10 fours and eight sixes, before being dismissed as India A beat Sri Lanka A by 66 runs.
Despite his impressive performances, Sooryavanshi's name was not included in India's ODI squad for the upcoming 50-over series against England, which begins on 14 July. The youngster was, however, named in India's T20 side against Ireland, who they face for the first of two internationals on 26 June, and England.
Sooryavanshi's rapid rise to fame has generated significant interest, with many expecting him to make his international debut in the near future. Should he turn out, he would become India's youngest-ever Test cricket debutant, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who was 16 when he made his debut in 1989.