Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added yet another accolade in his young career on Saturday, as India’s men’s cricket team beat Pakistan by 19 runs to retain the Asian Games gold medal at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.
The 15-year-old opened the batting for India in the final, scoring 15 off nine balls before India went on to post 211/6. That result has now made Sooryavanshi the youngest Indian ever to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, at 15 years, 6 months and 6 days.
The milestone comes just weeks after he was named in TIME magazine’s TIME100 Next list, where he was the only Indian athlete featured and its youngest member overall.
India’s gold in the final was built on contributions from Abhishek Sharma, who smashed 61 off 28 balls, and Tilak Varma, who finished unbeaten on 51, after Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz threatened a chase with a blistering 96 off 51 balls.
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Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi the youngest Indian gold medallist at the Asian Games?
Yes.
Sooryavanshi, who is 15 years, 6 months and 6 days old at the time of the final, is now the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the Asian Games.
He surpassed the previous record held by shooter Saurabh Chaudhary, who was 16 years, 3 months and 9 days old when he won the men’s 10m air pistol gold at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
There is, however, an important distinction to make. Sooryavanshi’s gold came as part of India’s men’s cricket team, making him the youngest Indian gold medallist overall.
Chaudhary’s gold, by contrast, came in an individual event, so he remains the youngest Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold medal, a record Sooryavanshi’s team achievement does not touch.
Sooryavanshi’s maiden Asian Games campaign ended with 53 runs from two innings at a strike rate of 176.66, after India’s quarter-final against Afghanistan was washed out by rain.
Top 5 youngest Indian gold medallists at Asian Games
| Rank | Athlete | Sport | Age at gold win | Asian Games edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Cricket | 15 years, 6 months, 6 days | 2026 Aichi-Nagoya |
| 2 | Saurabh Chaudhary | Shooting (10m Air Pistol) | 16 years, 3 months, 9 days | 2018 Jakarta |
| 3 | Kumkum Mohod | Archery (Women’s Recurve) | 17 years | 2026 Aichi-Nagoya |
| 4 | G. Kamalini | Cricket | 18 years | 2026 Aichi-Nagoya |
| 5 | Palak Gulia | Shooting (10m Air Pistol) | 18 years, 10 months | 2023 Hangzhou |
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