Former India opener Virender Sehwag, considered one of the most destructive batters in the history of the game, made a career out of turning big scores into something of a habit. His son Aaryavir seems to have taken note.
“I have a legacy to live up to as he (Virender Sehwag) only likes big hundreds,” Aaryavir said after smashing 160 off 168 balls for India Under-19 against the UAE in the 2026 U19 Asia Cup in Al Amerat on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old had promised his father a big hundred before the match, and he delivered in emphatic fashion, hitting 17 fours and seven sixes to help India post 309 for seven in 50 overs.
“I had promised someone to make a big score today, and thankfully I made it. And that person is my dad,” he said after the match.
For a teenager growing up with one of Indian cricket’s most destructive opening batters as his father, comparisons are inevitable. Sehwag scored 38 international centuries — 23 in Tests and 15 in ODIs — and became renowned for his fearless approach, including two triple centuries in Test cricket and a 219 in ODIs.
Aaryavir, meanwhile, is beginning to put together performances of his own. Just days earlier, he struck an unbeaten 70 off 52 balls against Nepal as India began their campaign with a 10-wicket victory.
Aaryavir is well aware that a big score at Under-19 level is only one step in a much longer journey.
“There’s still a long way to go and I want my dad to be proud of me when I wear that senior India jersey,” he told the Asian Cricket Council.
Last month, he had also announced himself in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy with a remarkable 173 off 143 balls for Delhi Under-19 against Chandigarh, hitting 19 fours and eight sixes.
His latest hundred was another demonstration of his ability to build an innings before shifting gears. After reaching his fifty off 69 balls, Aaryavir took another 62 deliveries to bring up his century, then added 60 from just 37 balls.
The match against the UAE does not carry Youth ODI status because the hosts are an Associate Member, so the innings will not count towards Aaryavir’s official Youth ODI record. But the performance offered another encouraging glimpse of a young batter finding his feet — and showing that he is comfortable with the expectations that come with his surname.
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