Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag's son Aaryavir Sehwag made an impressive start to India’s U19 Asia Cup campaign with a brilliant unbeaten half-century against Nepal on Friday. The young opener scored 70 not out off just 52 balls as India cruised to a 10-wicket victory in their tournament opener in Al Amerat.
Chasing a modest target of 129, Aaryavir joined captain Lakshya Raichandani at the crease, and the pair made light work of the chase. India reached 129 without losing a wicket in just 19.1 overs, registering a comfortable win with 185 balls to spare.
While Aaryavir led the charge with an attacking knock, Raichandani also played his part with an unbeaten 53 off 63 deliveries, including seven boundaries.
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Aaryavir Sehwag Leads India’s Comfortable Run Chase
Aaryavir was the more aggressive of the two openers, taking on the Nepal bowlers and finding the boundaries regularly. His 70-run knock included seven fours and four sixes.
Raichandani, meanwhile, held his end together and made sure India did not face any trouble during the chase. The two batters stitched together an unbeaten opening partnership to take India home without breaking a sweat.
The victory also gave India a perfect start to their campaign, with a much tougher challenge against arch-rivals Pakistan coming up on Sunday, November 8.
Ishan Sood, Arjun Rajput Shine With The Ball
Earlier, India’s bowlers put Nepal under pressure after the opposition were asked to bat first. Nepal struggled to build partnerships and were reduced to 51/4, leaving their innings in trouble.
Darsh Sonar and wicketkeeper-batter Aashish Luthar tried to bring Nepal back into the game with a 43-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Sonar scored 43 off 93 balls, while Luthar contributed 29.
However, India kept picking up wickets and never allowed Nepal to take control. Ishan Sood led the bowling attack with three wickets for 18 runs, while Arjun Rajput also claimed three wickets, conceding just eight runs.
Nepal were eventually bowled out for 128 in 42.3 overs, leaving India with a straightforward target.
Aaryavir Sehwag’s Rise In Junior Cricket
Aaryavir has been making steady progress in age-group cricket and has already attracted attention with some impressive performances. The right-handed batter has represented Delhi at the junior level and was also part of the side in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
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Last month, he produced a memorable innings of 173 runs against Chandigarh while leading Delhi. Although his knock could not help the team secure a victory, it once again highlighted his batting ability.
He had earlier made headlines in November 2024 when he scored a double century against Meghalaya in the Cooch Behar Trophy.
Coming from a cricketing family, Aaryavir has had the opportunity to learn from his father, Virender Sehwag, one of India’s most attacking opening batters. He has also featured in the Delhi Premier League on two occasions.
Brief scores
Nepal U-19 128 in 42.3 overs (Darsh Sonar 43; Ishan Sood 3/18, Arjun Rajput 3/8) lost to India U-19 129/0 in 19.1 overs (Lakshya Raichandani 53 not out, Aaryavir Sehwag 70 not out) by 10 wickets.