Aaryavir Sehwag announced himself in emphatic fashion on Friday, smashing 173 off 143 balls for Delhi Under-19 against Chandigarh in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy at the Dr. P.V.G. Raju ACA Sports Complex in Vizianagaram. The 18-year-old captain’s knock — studded with 19 fours and eight sixes, with 124 of his 173 runs coming in boundaries — single-handedly carried Delhi to 289 for six in their 50 overs.
Opening the batting just like his father Virender once did, Aaryavir Sehwag dominated the Chandigarh attack from the outset, stitching a 98-run opening partnership in 13.2 overs with Arnav Bugga, who made 47 off 39 balls. Wickets kept falling at the other end — Delhi slipped to 107 for two and then 179 for four — but the young skipper refused to be tied down, and was only dismissed in the 46th over, 27 runs short of a double hundred. Apart from Bugga, only Abhiraj Gagan Singh (18) and Shantanu Yadav (27 not out) reached double figures.
Aaryavir Sehwag’s 173: a knock in his father’s image
The innings had all the hallmarks of the Sehwag brand of batting — fearless strokeplay, disdain for the bowling and a strike rate of 121 built on pure timing. It was also a statement of consistency: the Delhi skipper had registered scores of 54, 46 and 32 in his three previous outings in the tournament without converting, and this time he made the start count in spectacular fashion.
The knock continues a rapid rise. He was named in India’s Under-19 squad for the three-match one-day series against Australia in Rajkot last month, alongside Rahul Dravid’s son Anvay, and impressed with 109 runs across three innings at a strike rate of 103.81. He had earlier been appointed captain of Delhi’s 16-member squad for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, which began on October 8, with Arnav Bugga as his vice-captain.
Aaryavir Sehwag and the Vinoo Mankad Trophy context
The innings carried extra weight given Delhi’s recent struggles. In their previous outing against Karnataka, Delhi had conceded a colossal 418 runs before being bundled out for 220, with Aaryavir Sehwag contributing a fighting 32. Against Chandigarh, his rescue act ensured respectability after the middle order wobbled, with Rupesh Yadav (two wickets), Sreshth Duggal, Gaganpreet Singh and Abhay Singh Gulia sharing the bowling honours for the visitors.
The Vinoo Mankad Trophy is India’s premier under-19 one-day competition, and performances here are closely watched by national selectors. Both Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid are also in the frame for the Under-19 Asia Cup, scheduled in Oman from November 5 to 14, after their displays against Australia raised expectations.
The Aaryavir Sehwag innings also underlines the depth emerging in India’s junior batting ranks. Alongside Anvay Dravid — who kept wickets and impressed on the Australia tour — and the likes of Arnav Bugga, who continues to convert starts at the top of the order, the next generation looks well stocked. Selectors will have noted not just the runs but the manner of them: 19 fours and eight sixes, scored at better than a run a ball, in a high-pressure effort to rescue a struggling side. With the Under-19 Asia Cup in Oman on the horizon, the timing of this statement could hardly be better.
What’s next for Aaryavir Sehwag
Few young batters arrive with a surname as heavy as Sehwag, but Aaryavir is building a résumé of his own. Before this season he smashed 297 against Meghalaya in the 2024 Cooch Behar Trophy, and he turned out for West Delhi Lions in the Delhi Premier League earlier this year. The 173 against Chandigarh is his most complete statement yet — a captain’s innings, played under pressure, at a strike rate that would make his father proud.
Delhi will hope their skipper’s form continues through the tournament. On this evidence, he is not just living off a famous name — he is carving out his own place in Indian cricket’s next generation, one boundary at a time.