Harare, Zimbabwe – In a display of pure batting dominance, India’s “boy wonder” Vaibhav Sooryavanshi propelled his side to a 100-run victory over England, securing India’s sixth ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy.
Sooryavanshi’s Historic Blitz
Opting to bat first at the Harare Sports Club, India posted a mammoth total of 411/9. The story of the innings belonged entirely to 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The youngster played a knock for the ages, smashing 175 runs off just 80 deliveries.
His innings was characterized by brutal power-hitting, featuring 15 boundaries and 15 sixes. In the process, Sooryavanshi shattered two major records:
- Highest Individual Score: The greatest ever in a U19 World Cup final.
- Most Sixes in a Tournament: His 30 maximums surpassed Dewald Brevis’ previous record of 22.
Captain Ayush Mhatre (53) and wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu (40) provided crucial support, while Kanishk Chouhan’s late cameo of 37 ensured India crossed the 400-run mark.
England’s Spirited but Flawed Chase
Chasing 412, England showed early promise. Ben Dawkins (66) and Ben Mayes (45) kept the scoreboard ticking, with Mayes ending the tournament as the leading run-scorer. However, the chase derailed during a disastrous middle-order collapse where England lost four wickets for just three runs in an eight-ball span.
Despite the scorecard reading 177/7, Caleb Falconer refused to concede. Falconer played a heroic lone hand, striking a magnificent 115, including six sixes. His resistance briefly threatened to pull off the impossible, but he eventually ran out of partners.
The Winning Moment
The match concluded in the 41st over when Chouhan claimed the final wicket of Falconer, courtesy of a spectacular diving catch by Khilan Patel. England was bowled out for 311, leaving India to celebrate a century-margin victory and further cement their status as the most successful nation in U19 cricket history.
Match Summary:
- India: 411/9 (50 overs)
- England: 311 all out (40.2 overs)
- Result: India wins by 100 runs.
