Anvay Dravid continued his remarkable run in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, smashing a 100-ball 151 to help Karnataka Under-19 secure a five-wicket win over Gujarat and book their place in the knockouts on Friday.
The 17-year-old, younger son of former India captain Rahul Dravid, struck 20 fours and three sixes as Karnataka chased down a revised target of 352 under the VJD method after Gujarat had posted a formidable 357 for four in 50 overs.
Anvay, who captains Karnataka in the tournament, combined with Dhruv Krishnan to turn a daunting chase into a successful one. The pair added 203 runs for the third wicket in just over 26 overs, with Dhruv contributing an equally aggressive 131 off 100 balls. Their partnership put Karnataka firmly in control of the contest after Gujarat had set up a big total through two outstanding individual performances.
Sameer Bhandari scored an unbeaten 119 off 88 deliveries, while Yash Panjwani remained not out on 106 off just 57 balls. The duo rescued Gujarat from 140 for four in 30.3 overs, adding 217 runs for the fifth wicket in only 19 overs.
ANVAY ON FIRE
For Anvay, the century was his second in the tournament this season and the latest in a sequence of attacking performances. He had struck 104 off 62 balls in Karnataka’s 100-run win over Chandigarh before scoring a rapid 85 off 41 deliveries against Delhi earlier this week.
The knock against Delhi had underlined his appetite for taking on bowlers, with Anvay smashing five sixes and seven fours as Karnataka piled up 418 for four. Against Gujarat, he sustained that aggressive approach in a high-pressure chase, combining boundary-hitting with a substantial partnership that kept Karnataka on course.
The Karnataka captain has also been entrusted with wicketkeeping duties, adding to his responsibilities on the field. So far, the extra demands have not appeared to curb his attacking instincts with the bat.
His domestic performances follow an encouraging start to his India Under-19 career. During India’s Youth ODI tour of Sri Lanka in July, Anvay scored 87 off 67 balls in the second match at Hambantota, hitting nine fours and a six.
He carried that form into the Youth ODI series against Australia in September. In the rain-shortened first match in Rajkot, Anvay struck 38 off just 18 deliveries, including three sixes and two fours, helping India post 182 for six in a match reduced to 20 overs. India went on to win by seven runs.
With Karnataka through to the knockouts, Anvay’s latest hundred adds to an increasingly impressive season in which he has shown he can score quickly, build partnerships and deliver when his team needs a substantial contribution.
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