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February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026
February 9, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gave another demonstration of his prodigious talent with a record-breaking innings in Harare as India completed a dominant run at the Under-19 World Cup, dispatching England’s challenge to lift the trophy for the sixth time.
Sooryavanshi, the 14-year-old opener, showcased his full range of scoring in an audacious knock of 175 off just 80 balls, almost single-handedly extinguishing England’s hopes after India opted to bat.
When he was third out, India were 251 for 3 in the 26th over, hypothetically on track to score 500. Although no one kept pace with Sooryavanshi, cameos from Abhigyan Kundu and Kanishk Chouhan helped India surpass 400 for the first time in a Youth ODI between Full Member nations.
For England, Caleb Falconer struck a scintillating 63-ball hundred in response, but it wasn’t enough as India regained the Under-19 title, having lost the final to Australia two years ago.
Although England struck early with Aaron George caught at point off Alex Green, the game quickly slipped away. Sooryavanshi put on 142 runs in 15 overs with India’s captain Ayush Mhatre, then 78 off 89 deliveries for the third wicket alongside Vedant Trivedi as India’s innings surged.
Having reached fifty from just 32 balls, he took only 23 more to bring up his first century of the tournament, then another 16 to surpass 150. Sixes rained around the ground, as England’s spinners, Farhan Ahmed and Ralphie Albert, were treated with disdain. Perhaps the most outrageous shot came off a Green bouncer, which Sooryavanshi smashed straight over the bowler’s head into the sightscreen.
He eventually fell against the run of play, gloving a slog-sweep at Manny Lumsden, causing India’s innings to stutter—at least relative to his previous onslaught. James Minto claimed three wickets as England tried to keep the score below 400, but India breached the mark in the final over.
Chasing a record Youth ODI total, England needed an explosive start. Instead, India bowled two maidens as Ben Dawkins and Joseph Moore initially struggled to make an impact. RS Ambrish bowled Moore off an inside edge, but the arrival of Ben Mayes brought the required tempo as England raced to 64 for 1 at the end of the first powerplay.
Mayes struck seven fours and two sixes before falling, having briefly reclaimed the top spot on the tournament run-scorers’ list from Sooryavanshi. Thomas Rew, England’s captain, blazed 31 off 18 balls, and Dawkins added a 49-ball fifty, but his dismissal sparked a collapse of 4 wickets for 3 runs in nine balls as India tightened their grip.
England were still ahead of the required rate despite wickets falling and were given hope by a 92-run stand between Falconer and James Minto. Falconer regularly found the boundary on the way to his maiden hundred, but with the required rate climbing above 10 runs an over, England were still 100 runs short when he was finally dismissed. (ESPNcricinfo)
