Al Amerat: India U-19 opener Aaryavir Sehwag fulfilled a promise he had made to his father, former India opener Virender Sehwag, by scoring a big hundred in a must-win match of the ongoing U-19 Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Aaryavir smashed 160 off 168 balls to guide India U-19 to a 70-run victory over UAE U-19, securing the team's place in the semifinals.
Speaking after the match, the young opener revealed that he had promised his father he would score a big century.
"I wanted to make a big score. I had promised someone to make a big score today and thankfully I made it. And that person is my dad (Virender Sehwag). I told my dad I will get a big hundred. I have a legacy to live up to as he only likes big hundreds," Aaryavir said.
The right-handed batter took 14 deliveries to get off the mark and reached his half-century in 69 balls. He went on to register his maiden Youth ODI century off 131 deliveries.
Reflecting on his innings, Aaryavir said he had decided to spend time at the crease and bat deep into the innings despite the challenges posed by the pitch.
"The wicket was turning a little. I started off and decided to play long and bat for 40 odd overs. There were challenges on the wicket. I didn't get bothered about the dot balls, as I knew I would catch up," he added.
India posted a total of 309 for five, which captain Lakshya Raichandani described as above par on the surface.
"We batted well. It was an above-par score on this wicket. There was some resistance later on from the spinners, so it was good. The wicket was good but it was dry," the captain said.