Abhigyan Kundu etched his name into the record books on Tuesday, December 16, with a landmark innings in the Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup, becoming the first Indian to score a double century in a youth ODI. At the Sevens Stadium in Dubai, the 17-year-old wicketkeeper-palter made a stunning unbeaten 209 against Malaysia, putting him in an exclusive club. Kundu is now only the second player in Youth ODI history to register a double hundred, after South Africa’s Jorich van Schalkwyk, who hit 215 against Zimbabwe in Harare earlier this year.
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The number five batsman dominated the Malaysian attack with remarkable control and power. He reached his double century from just 125 balls, hitting 19 fours and seven sixes in a marathon innings that completely tipped the balance of the Group A competition. Riding on Kundu’s knock, India Under-19 posted a mammoth total of 408 in seven of their 50 overs. The innings also marked a significant moment for Indian youth cricket. Kundu’s 209 surpassed Ambati Rayudu’s unbeaten 177 against England at Taunton in 2002, which stood for 23 years as the highest individual score by an Indian batsman in Youth ODIs. Only van Schalkwyk now sits above Kundu on the all-time list of highest youth ODI scores. Kundu’s efforts put him in front of remarkable innings by the likes of Hasitha Boyagoda, Jakob Bhula and Rayudu, further underscoring the extent of his success. During the mid-innings break, Kundu said he was already focused on what lay ahead. He explained that his only goal going into the knockout stages will be to keep changing starts and taking advantage of as many opportunities as possible. On breaking Rayudu’s long-standing record, Kundu admitted that the moment meant a lot to him. He said it felt really good to set the record and added that his next goal would be to break his own mark again on a bigger stage. Kundu also shed light on his approach to the wicket. He felt the wicket was playing well, with good pace and bounce, and believed that if he could bat close to 45 overs, the runs would come naturally as free deliveries were inevitable. The young batsman said the idea was to build the innings patiently and trust his temperament to change gears whenever needed. His primary objective, he added, was simply to stay at the crease. Kundu’s knock continues the trend of big scores in the ongoing tournament. Earlier in the competition, Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed a 95-ball 171 against UAE, which is now the ninth highest individual score in Youth ODI history. Together, these performances underlined the depth of India’s under-19 batting talent and set the tone for a dominant Asia Cup campaign.
