Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s Batting Approach Under Scrutiny After India’s U19 Asia Cup Final Loss

India U19 lost the Asia Cup final to Pakistan by 191 runs in Dubai. Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s quick 26 sparked hope, but his dismissal triggered a collapse, highlighting his talent, inconsistency, and aggressive batting under pressure.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Team India’s hopes of clinching the U19 Asia Cup title were shattered after their defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan at the ICC Academy Stadium in Dubai on Sunday, December 12. India U19 were the strong favourities to clinch the title heading into the final against Pakistan, but the Boys in Blue had a day to forget, failing to live up to the expectations on the big day.

India were set a 348-run target to chase after the bowlers were thrashed by Pakistan batters, especially opener Sameer Minhas, who played a phenomenal knock of 172 off 113 balls, to power the Boys in Green to 347/8. Chasing a mammoth target. India succumbed to scoreboard pressure as they were bundled out for 156, losing the title clash by a margin of 191 runs, as Pakistan dominated all three departments to seal a comprehensive victory in the final.

Tailender Deepesh Devendran was the top scorer for the runners-up with 36 off 16 balls, while young batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 26 off 10 balls at an impressive strike rate of 260. The bowling unit was below par with their performance, as four bowlers, Deepesh Devendran (3/83), Kanishk Chouhan (1/72), Henil Patil (2/62), and Kishan Kumar Singh (0/50), conceded heavily and failed to contain Pakistan’s aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi Fails To Deliver On Big Day

Heading into the U19 Asia Cup 2025 Final, the entire focus was on Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose rapid rise since his breakthrough IPL 2025 season had made him one of India’s biggest hopes in the title clash. Suryavanshi was one of the top batters for the Boys in Blue in the tournament, and the team management was hoping for him to deliver on the big day.

Given the target of 348, the Bihar cricketer was at the centre of attention, given his aggressive strokeplay and composure. Vaibhav Suryavanshi was off to an aggressive start to his innings, scoring 26 off 10 balls, including a six and three fours, at an impressive strike rate of 260, before he was dismissed by Ali Raza. His dismissal caused a collapse in India’s batting line-up as they were reduced to 68/5.

Suryavanshi’s brief explosive innings at the top, given the mammoth target on the board, came at a crucial stage of the chase. Despite the rapid scoring, India’s batting line-up collapsed after his dismissal, leaving the team far short of the mammoth target set by Pakistan.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s dismissal left the Indian dressing room shocked, as Pakistan picked a crucial wicket in the final that shifted the momentum completely in their favour, putting India under immense pressure and paving the way for a comprehensive 191-run defeat.

Vaibhav finished the tournament as the second-highest run-getter for India, amassing 261 runs, including a century and a fifty, at an average of 52.20 and a strike rate of 182.52 in five matches.

Talented But Lacks Consistency

Vaibhav Suryavanshi was hailed as the batting sensation and the next big thing in Indian cricket following his sensational performance for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, followed by his standout performances on Youth tours for the ODI and Test series against England and Australia. Before the Asia Cup, the 14-year-old scored a century for Bihar in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, becoming the youngest batter to achieve this feat

Suryavanshi had a brilliant start to the U19 Asia Cup campaign, scoring a phenomenal 171 off 95 balls, completing his century in just 56 balls, to power India to a record total of 433/4 before crushing the UAE. Thereafter, Vaibhav failed to maintain consistency as his scores in the next four matches read - 5, 50, 6, and 26, crossing the fifty-run mark just once, that too against minnows Malaysia.

Against Pakistan (group and final) and Sri Lanka in the semifinal, Suryavanshi struggled to make a significant impact. The responsibility to fire at the top was on Vaibhav Suryavanshi, given his aggressive batting approach, but he failed to convert starts into big innings, leaving India short of momentum in crucial games.

A similar inconsistency was also seen in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, where he registered scores of 13, 5, 108*, 46, and 11, aggregating 183 runs at an average of 45.75 in five matches. His batting average was close to 50 because of his century knock against Maharashtra, which remained the standout performance in an otherwise inconsistent series.

The flashes of batting brilliance by Vaibhav Suryavanshi highlighted his immense potential, but it was often overshadowed by his inconsistency, raising questions about his temperament and approach in high-pressure games.

Vaibhav’s Attacking Approach Questioned

Apart from inconsistency, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s batting approach has also come under scrutiny, as his aggressive style often leaves him vulnerable to early dismissals, especially when the bowlers execute disciplined lines and lengths in high-pressure matches, raising questions about his ability to anchor innings and build partnerships at the top.

Following his dismissal after a quickfire 26-run innings in the final against Pakistan, Suryavanshi was criticised for his lack of match awareness, rather than resorting to his natural attacking approach, which was the main reason behind his rapid rise in the cricketing world. Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), netizens questioned his game sense and strike rotation while chasing a massive total.

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi will return to action in the upcoming edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he will have the opportunity to address the criticism around his batting approach and prove his ability to balance aggression with composure in high-pressure situations.

Despite his talent, the young prodigy will need to work on converting starts into big while maintaining consistent performances in order to cement his place in the youth teams. With the U19 World Cup taking place in January next year, Vaibhav will be under the spotlight once again, and his performance in VHT 2025/26 could prove crucial in determining his role and position in the squad.