Vaibhav Sooryavanshi becomes youngest-ever half-centurion in international cricket
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Source: X/@BCCI)
Published - 23 Jul 2026, 05:46 PM• Read time - 10 mins
India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi etched his name in the history books, becoming the youngest-ever half-centurion in T20Is during the first game of the three-match series against Zimbabwe on Thursday, July 23, in Harare. Sooryavanshi brought up his milestone in just 18 deliveries, also becoming the youngest player to score a fifty in international cricket at the age of 15 years and 118 days.
He broke Nepal’s Kushal Malla's record, who brought up his half-century in an ODI against USA in Kirtipur in 2020 at the age of 15 years 340 days. Sooryavanshi walked out to open the innings with India chasing a target of 126 and took on Richard Ngarava in the second over, smashing him for two sixes and a boundary, including a jaw-dropping maximum over long off on the front foot.
The southpaw further took on Brad Evans and Blessing Muzarabani and eventually reached the milestone in the seventh over with a couple of runs.
Following his blitzkrieg, India chased down the target in 13.2 overs as Ishan Kishan (35 off 24) and captain Shreyas Iyer (28* off 24) also made valuable contributions. As a result, India won the match by seven wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the series, bringing an end to their seven-match winless streak in T20Is under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, who registered his first win as India captain.
Earlier in the day, India restricted Zimbabwe to 125/7 in their allotted 20 overs with Mayank Yadav (2/18), who was making a comeback to the Indian team after a year and nine months, picking two wickets alongside Prince Yadav (2/19). Mayank was also adjudged Player of the Match for rattling Zimbabwe's top order with his searing pace.
Youngest half-centurions in T20Is
| Name | Age | Opposition |
|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India) | 15 years, 118 days | vs Zimbabwe, Harare, 2026 |
| Louis Bruce (Gibraltar) | 16 years, 56 days | vs Malta, Albergaria, 2021 |
| Kavin Chaddha (Indonesia) | 16 years, 76 days | vs Sweden, Bali, 2026 |
| Alusine Turay (Sierra Leone) | 16 years, 89 days | vs Ghana, Benoni, 2023 |
| Tenjin Rabgey (Bhutan) | 16 years, 118 days | vs China, Kuala Lumpur, 2023 |
Youngest half-centurions in International Cricket (Full-Member teams)
| Name | Age | Opposition |
|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India) | 15 years, 118 days | vs Zimbabwe, Harare, 2026 (T20I) |
| Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 16 years, 213 days | vs Pakistan, Faisalabad, 1989 (Test) |
| Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) | 16 years, 214 days | vs Sri Lanka, Nairobi, 1996 (ODI) |
| Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan) | 17 years, 39 days | vs India, Kolkata, 1960 (Test) |
| Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh) | 17 years, 63 days | vs Sri Lanka, Colombo (SSC), 2001 (Test) |