NEW DELHI: India’s baby-faced batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a tough time during the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan on Sunday. As Pakistan beat India to clinch the title, an off-the-field incident caught attention on social media.
A video showed some Pakistan fans outside the stadium booing Sooryavanshi as he walked past them. Despite the negativity, the teenager remained calm as he did not react or say anything and walked away quietly.Watch:With emotions running high and pressure being intense, India faced their biggest rivals in the final at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai.Batting first, Pakistan put up a huge score of 347 runs, thanks to the heroics of Sameer Minhas, who played a brilliant knock of 172 runs from just 113 balls. The target was always going to be difficult for India.India’s chase started poorly. Opener Ayush Mhatre was dismissed very early for just two runs. Much was expected from 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has been one of India’s standout performers in the tournament.Vaibhav began confidently and showed no fear. He attacked the bowlers from the first ball and played some exciting shots. He quickly raced to 26 runs off only nine balls, giving Indian fans some hope. However, the young batter failed to convert his start into a big innings. While attempting an aggressive shot against pacer Ali Raza, he edged the ball to the wicketkeeper and was dismissed.India’s early collapse hurt their chances badly, and the team eventually lost the final. There was also a heated moment when Sooryavanshi appeared to exchange words with Ali Raza after getting out.After being bundled out for 156 in 26.2 overs, India went on to lose the game by 191 runs. And the final loss was disappointing, but Sooryavanshi had a strong tournament overall. He started the Asia Cup with a stunning 171 runs off 95 balls against the UAE. He then scored a half-century against Malaysia. However, his form dipped in the knockout matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.Vaibhav scored 261 runs in five innings. He finished the tournament with an impressive average of 52.20 and a strike rate of 182.52.
