Aaryavir Sehwag played the innings of his young career on Tuesday, smashing 160 off 168 balls to power India Under-19 to 309 for 7 against the United Arab Emirates in a must-win U19 Asia Cup group match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
India needed a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive after a defeat in their second group game, and Sehwag, the son of former India opener Virender Sehwag, delivered when it mattered most. Promoted to open the innings, a role he does not usually fill, the 19-year-old right-hander took his time to settle, breaking the deadlock with a four off his 14th ball before taking control of the innings.
The UAE won the toss and chose to bowl, and struck early when captain Lakshya Raichandani fell for 17. But Sehwag found a steady partner in number three batter VK Vineeth, and the pair added 193 runs for the second wicket to put India firmly on top. Vineeth also reached a half-century as the stand wore down the UAE attack on a surface that offered variable bounce and plenty of seam movement.
Sehwag reached his fifty off 69 balls and his century off 131, with the team total on only 159 at the time, a measure of how much of the scoring he was doing. Once he reached three figures he pressed the accelerator, finishing with 17 fours and seven sixes in the highest individual score of the tournament so far. His innings finally ended in the 45th over, caught inside the circle off medium pacer Naseem Khan with India’s total on 255.
The late order could not quite give the innings the finish it deserved, and India finished on 309 for 7 in their 50 overs, but the total was still a commanding one on a tricky pitch. The 193-run stand with Vineeth had done the heavy lifting, and late blows from the lower order pushed India past 300.
The knock continued a fine tournament for Sehwag, who made an unbeaten 70 in the opening win over Nepal. He now has 252 runs in three matches at an average of 126.00, with a century and a fifty to his name. The teenager has been a consistent presence for Delhi Under-19, most memorably scoring 297 against Meghalaya in the 2024 Cooch Behar Trophy, and he also featured in the West Delhi Lions’ Delhi Premier League campaign this year.
For India, the equation was simple before this game: win, and the semi-final race stays alive. Sehwag’s 160 has given their bowlers 309 runs to defend.
Related:
Aaryavir Sehwag’s Unbeaten 70 Powers India Under-19 to 10-Wicket Win Over Nepal in Asia Cup Opener
Rain Washes Out Final Day as India A and New Zealand A Share the Spoils and the Series Ends 0-0
