India U-19 Star Harvansh Singh Blasts 52-Ball Century, Draws Rishabh Pant Comparisons

Harvansh Singh Smashes Century Off 52 Balls: Is He The Next Rishabh Pant?

India U-19 wicketkeeper-batter Harvansh Singh Pangalia delivered a stunning performance on Tuesday, scoring a blistering century in a warm-up match against England U-19.

Harvansh Singh with his father.

Coming to the crease with the score at 251/7 in the 36th over, Harvansh Singh Pangalia partnered with RS Ambrish, and together they forged a crucial 126-run stand. Ambrish played a dominant role in the partnership, scoring a fluid 72 off 47 balls before his dismissal. At that stage, Pangalia had already reached 47 off 33 balls and swiftly reached his half-century with a boundary on the subsequent delivery.

Pangalia then unleashed a ferocious attack in the final three overs. He began the 48th over with consecutive sixes off Manny Lumsden, who then bowled two no-balls in succession. The following over witnessed another six off Matthew Firbank, but the true fireworks were reserved for the final over. Pangalia hammered Lumsden for a four, followed by three towering sixes – his final maximum bringing up a magnificent century in just 52 balls. Notably, his second fifty came at an incredible pace, requiring only 18 balls.

By the end of the innings, India had amassed a formidable 442/9. Pangalia remained unbeaten, having struck nine sixes. The young wicketkeeper-batter, who represents Saurashtra’s youth team, had previously garnered attention with a similarly aggressive 117 against Australia in a Youth Test last October, where he hit seven boundaries and six sixes.

Who is Harvansh Singh?

Harvansh Singh, the India U-19 wicketkeeper-batter, comes from Gandhidham, a small town in Gujarat's Rann of Kutch. Growing up, he was inspired by his father, Damandeep Singh, and uncle, Kunwarajeet Singh, who both played cricket in their town as wicketkeepers. Harvansh's family now resides in Canada, where his father works as a truck driver in Brampton. Harvansh remains in Gandhidham with his mother and has pledged to his father that he will one day bring them back to India.

Damandeep never imagined that a video of Yuvraj Singh's six sixes would ignite such a passion for the game in his son, leading him to aspire to represent his country.

"Even Rajkot is 200 km away from our city. It was only in 2012 when the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) opened an academy in our town. I enrolled Harvansh in it when he was six. He picked up keeping from me, as I used to don the gloves as well. But he turned southpaw because of Yuvraj Singh. He's a massive Yuvraj fan and hasn't even seen peak Yuvraj, but he was obsessed with the video of him hitting six sixes off Stuart Broad," Damandeep told TimesofIndia.com in an interview.

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