India clinched a record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title with a commanding 100-run victory over England in the final, riding on a once-in-a-generation knock by 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Sooryavanshi produced arguably the most breathtaking innings in the history of the tournament, smashing 175 off just 80 balls as India piled up a colossal 411 for 9 after England chose to bowl first. The innings, studded with a record 15 sixes and as many fours, completely dismantled the English bowling attack and turned the summit clash into a one-sided spectacle.
Set an improbable target of 412, England were eventually bowled out for 311 in 40.2 overs despite a spirited effort from Caleb Falconer, who struck a scintillating 115 off 67 balls. Falconer’s knock helped England reduce the margin of defeat but never truly threatened India’s grip on the contest.
Sooryavanshi’s assault began early and never relented. He raced to his half-century in just 32 balls and reached three figures off only 55 deliveries, becoming the second-fastest centurion in Under-19 World Cup history. His second fifty came off a mere 23 balls, underlining the ferocity of his strokeplay.
As many as 150 of his runs came in boundaries, with the opener repeatedly clearing the ropes and reducing the Harare Sports Club to his personal playground. At the halfway stage of India’s innings, the run rate hovered around 10 an over, with projections touching 500.
Also read: Sooryavanshi smashes second fastest U-19 World Cup ton
The teenager from Bihar’s Samastipur eventually fell in the 26th over while attempting a scoop, bringing an end to an innings that left players, pundits and fans in awe. England’s players rushed to congratulate him, acknowledging a knock rarely seen in a World Cup final.
Sooryavanshi added 142 runs in just 19 overs with skipper Ayush Mhatre, who scored a steady 53 off 51 balls. Useful contributions from Abhigyan Kundu (40), Vedant Trivedi (32), Vihaan Malhotra (30) and Kanishk Chouhan (37) ensured India maintained momentum even after the star batter’s dismissal.
The innings rewrote record books. Sooryavanshi registered the highest individual score in a U-19 World Cup final, the fastest 150 in U-19 cricket, and became the youngest centurion in the tournament’s history. He also finished the edition with a record 22 sixes, surpassing South Africa’s Dewald Brevis.
England’s bowlers bore the brunt of the onslaught, with Manny Lumsden conceding 81 runs in eight overs and Sebastian Morgan leaking 74 in nine.
Once India crossed the 400-run mark, the outcome appeared inevitable. The bowlers operated as a cohesive unit to close out the match, sealing another chapter in India’s sustained dominance at the age-group level. India last won the title in 2022, and this triumph further underlined the strength of the country’s youth cricket structure and talent pipeline.
Scoreboard:
India U-19: Aaron George c Mayes b Green 9 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi c Rew b Lumsden 175 Ayush Mhatre c Mayes b Green 53 Vedant Trivedi c Mayes b Minto 32 Vihaan Malhotra c Dawkins b Minto 30 Abhigyan Kundu c Albert b Morgan 40 RS Ambrish b Minto 18 Kanishk Chouhan not out 37 Khilan Patel c Moores b Morgan 3 Henil Patel run out 5 Deepesh Devendran not out 0 Extras: (lb-1, w-8) 9 Total: 411/9 in 50 overs Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-162, 3-251, 4-302, 5-308, 6-359, 7-367, 8-375, 9-393 Bowling: Sebastian Morgan 9-0-74-2, Alex Green 5-0-49-2, Manny Lumsden 8-0-81- 1, James Minto 8-0-63-3, Farhan Ahmed 10-0-77-0, Ralphie Albert 10-0-66-0.
England U-19: Ben Dawkins c Khilan Patel b Mhatre 66 Joseph Moores b Ambrish 17 Ben Mayes c Henil Patel b Khilan Patel 45 Thomas Rew c Mhatre b Chouhan 31 Caleb Falconer c Khilan Patel b Chouhan 115 Ralphie Albert run out 0 Farhan Ahmed c Kundu b Deepesh 1 Sebastian Morgan c & b Deepesh 0 James Minto c sub b Ambrish 28 Manny Lumsden c Vedant Trivedi b Ambrish 3 Alex Green not out 0 Extras: (B-1, LB-2, W-2) 5 Total: (All out, 40.2 overs) 311 Fall of wkts: 1-19, 2-93, 3-142, 4-174, 5-174, 6-177, 7-177, 8-269, 9-281.
Bowling: RS Ambrish 9-1-56-3, Henil Patel 4-2-28-0, Deepesh Devendran 6-0-64-2, Khilan Patel 8-0-66-1, Kanishk Chouhan 8.2-0-63-2, Ayush Mhatre 5-0-31-1.
Follow us
