(REUTERS) – Armaan Jaffer, 13, has become the new owner of the world record for the highest individual score in school cricket. Armaan, nephew of one-time India Test opener and Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer, smashed 498 for Rizvi Springfield School against IES Raja Shivaji School in the Giles Shield tournament at Cross Maidan in Mumbai.
He surpassed Sarfaraz Khan’s 439 – scored in the Under-16 Harris Shield competition last year – to claim the world record.
His knock, brought to an end by a catch, came off 490 balls and included 77 fours.
“I will thank my father who has always supported me and kept me going. I am a little disappointed that I missed the 500-mark but as we say, ‘One mistake and you are back in pavilion’,” Armaan said.
Armaan’s uncle, Wasim, once held the same record, scoring 403 in the Harris Shield, before going on to represent India in 31 Tests.
“I was not thinking about any record, nor about Sarfaraz’s 439 and not even about Uncle Wasim’s,” Armaan continued.
There were no surprises when Armaan was asked of his role model.
“Sachin Tendulkar is my idol. His determination and focus are the things that stand out.”
Indian school cricket often provides a glimpse of the next great batting sensations – Tendulkar himself was involved in a partnership of 664 – at the time a record partnership for any form of cricket – with Vinod Kambli, another who represented India at the highest level, in a Harris Shield match in 1988.
Tendulkar made his Test debut aged just 16 a year later.