All posts tagged: under19

Under-19 World Cup hero Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opens up on final pressure before historic 175

Under-19 World Cup hero Vaibhav Sooryavanshi opens up on final pressure before historic 175

Published by Webster

3 min readFeb 7, 2026 10:19 PM IST After leading India to a historic, record-extending sixth Under-19 World Cup title with his gobsmacking 80-ball 175 in the final against England in Harare on Friday, teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi revealed a conversation with his father. “I spoke to my dad and told him that half the dream is done. But the other half, playing the World Cup for the senior India team, is still left,” he said in an interview with Ray Sportz Cricket. “Every player dreams of playing for the senior team and winning. That is my focus from here.” The 14-year-old was named Player of the Match in the final and Player of the Tournament for his extraordinary batting. After a modest start in the tournament, Sooryavanshi dominated towards the business end, living up to the immense hype surrounding him. His 33-ball 68 in the semifinal against Afghanistan paved the way for India to chase down a steep 311-run target, before he played arguably one of the greatest knocks in any tournament final. …

India lift record-extending sixth Under-19 World Cup title after thumping England by 100 runs in final

India lift record-extending sixth Under-19 World Cup title after thumping England by 100 runs in final

Published by Webster

3 min readFeb 6, 2026 08:21 PM IST In what was a complete domination in Harare, the India U19 side thumped England in the ICC 2026 Under-19 World Cup final to clinch their record-extending sixth title. Powered by batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s 80-ball 175 in the first innings and then a comprehensive bowling performance, the Boys in Blue handed the Three Lions a crushing 100-run loss in what was India’s 10th U19 World Cup final on Friday. Chasing a record high total of 412, England, after a positive start, crumbled in the middle phase, where India picked quick wickets, putting the English side in backfoot. Then, it was a lone fight waged by Caleb Falconer, who struck an entertaining century, but England were eventually bundled out for 311 in 40.1 overs. This is India’s sixth U19 World Cup title, having previously won on five occasions in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018 and 2022. Earlier in the first innings, batting prodigy Sooryavanshi played arguably the most dominant knock in the history of the U19 World Cup, his …

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes 175 off 80 balls with 15 sixes as India seize control against England in Under-19 World Cup final

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes 175 off 80 balls with 15 sixes as India seize control against England in Under-19 World Cup final

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Feb 6, 2026 03:19 PM IST On the biggest stage of the Under-19 World Cup, with the title on the line and expectations weighing heavily, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced an innings that felt both timeless and startlingly fresh. The 14-year-old saved his most emphatic statement for the final, smashing an 80-ball 175 against England at Harare to seize complete control of the contest. Sooryavanshi’s journey to the final had been marked by assurance rather than excess. Scores of 2, 72, 40, 52, 30 and 68 underlined his consistency, but the defining innings – the one that truly bent a game to his will – had remained elusive. In the final, under sunshine and scrutiny, the left-hander bridged that gap with a knock that blended composure, power and rare clarity of thought. The southpaw lost his opening partner, Aaron George, in the fourth over, but remained unfazed by the dismissal. Once his timing clicked, the scoring gathered momentum without ever appearing frenetic. Fours pierced the infield, sixes cleared the rope with ease, and every …

The under-19 World Cup when Little Virat Kohli changed the way India played cricket

The under-19 World Cup when Little Virat Kohli changed the way India played cricket

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Even as a teenager, Virat Kohli came with a clear warning: ‘mess with me and face the consequences’. Little Virat, whenever challenged or undermined, would raise his game to leave his rivals regretting the provocation. The few on the sidelines of the 2008 under-19 World Cup final in Malaysia saw this trait early. They were also among the first to get a glimpse of the batting phenomenon and also the future of Indian cricket. It had started with a South African player mocking India’s very modest total during the mid-innings break. In the annals of Indian cricket history, this would be the opening of an inspiring folklore. Skipper Virat, after a rousing speech in the dressing room, would lead a frenzied unit to the ground. Like a raging storm, they would destroy the rivals and scoop the Cup. A legend was born, one that would continue to grow in the years to come. Another under-19 World Cup is reaching its business end in Zimbabwe. On Sunday, India is playing Pakistan in a crucial Super Six …

What it takes to captain Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and others in an Under-19 World Cup match against Pakistan: Amit Pagnis on managing future icons | Cricket News

What it takes to captain Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and others in an Under-19 World Cup match against Pakistan: Amit Pagnis on managing future icons | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readJan 30, 2026 06:28 PM IST By Amit Pagnis With the Under-19 World Cup happening now, I often go back to 1998 in South Africa, when I captained India’s U-19 team. One match that stands out is our last Super League game against Pakistan in Durban. It was a crucial game, and the pressure was very high. At that time, players like Reetinder Sodhi, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and Amit Bhandari were in the side. We had a lot of respect for each other, and leading that group was never a big pressure. I had a lot of fun playing with them and really enjoyed captaining them. The last Super League game against Pakistan in Durban was crucial for us. To qualify, we had to reach the target – 191 – in a certain number of overs. It wasn’t just about winning; it was about improving our net run rate. We had lost to Australia earlier, so everything came down to this one match and a strict equation. Because of …

Under-19 World Cup: Ayush Mhatre’s form in focus as India face New Zealand in league finale | Cricket News

Under-19 World Cup: Ayush Mhatre’s form in focus as India face New Zealand in league finale | Cricket News

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For all the promise Ayush Mhatre carries, the India U-19 captain enters the World Cup clash against New Zealand in Bulawayo on Saturday with unresolved questions over his form. Runs have dried up, dismissals have come early and the aggression that once defined his rise has increasingly looked at odds with the demands of the one-day format. In a side built around top-order foundations, Mhatre’s prolonged lean patch has become impossible to ignore. Mhatre’s recent returns make for grim reading. After a breezy 49 in the warm-ups against England, the competitive matches have seen a sharp dip. In the opener against the USA, he perished for 19. Two days later, against a disciplined Bangladesh attack, he lasted only 12 balls, falling for six. Before the World Cup, the 18-year-old endured a difficult time with the bat in the Under-19 Asia Cup as well, making 65 runs in five outings that included three single-digit scores. India’s expectations from Mhatre are rooted in his pedigree. In his short List A career, he has made 458 runs in …

Under-19 World Cup: Amid off-field drama and political tensions, India and Bangladesh ready for a feisty fixture | Cricket News

Under-19 World Cup: Amid off-field drama and political tensions, India and Bangladesh ready for a feisty fixture | Cricket News

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The exuberant Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim knows the many undercurrents of a game against India. “We have to play not just with our heads, but with our body language (too),” he told Daily Star before boarding the flight to Zimbabwe. He vividly remembers the ill-tempered evening at the Dubai International Stadium in 2024, when the celebrations went overboard after toppling India in the U-19 Asia Cup final. Azizul was the captain and he was spotted urging the Bangladesh fans, who had outnumbered the Indians, to shout a religious chant, which the crowd duly reciprocated. One of his seamers, Maruf Mridha, was fined for using abusive language. But in the scale of rancour, it paled in comparison with the scuffle, both verbal and physical, between members of both teams after the Tigers upstaged India in the 2020 U-19 World Cup final. “Their reaction was dirty. I think it shouldn’t have happened,” India’s captain Priyam Garg said. His Bangladesh counterpart apologised: “Cricket is known for being a gentleman’s game. So I’ll say, “I’ll be sorry for my …

ICC Under-19 World Cup: Can Vaibhav Suryanashi and Ayush Mhatre emulate Yuvraj, Kaif and Kohli? | Cricket News

ICC Under-19 World Cup: Can Vaibhav Suryanashi and Ayush Mhatre emulate Yuvraj, Kaif and Kohli? | Cricket News

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A 14-year-old batting sensation who is a household name, his 18-year-old opening partner who is seen as the next big batsman from Mumbai, a solid No.3, all-rounders and a well-rounded bowling unit makes India’s Under-19 World Cup team the one to beat. The ICC tournament starts on Thursday in Zimbabwe and Namibia and going by the talent in their ranks, the recent results and their reputation as five-time winners, India not making the final will be seen as a disappointment for their fans. Since Yuvraj Singh emerged as the player of the tournament of the junior World Cup in 2000, which India won under the captaincy of Mohammad Kaif, to Virat Kohli whose team lifted the trophy for the second time, the junior World Cup is seen as a platform to launch a career if one is talented enough to graduate to the senior level. The results of this team since September 2024 speak for themselves. At home, they first blanked Australia. In the middle of last year, when the core group was finalised, they …

Sameer Minhas’ record 172 powers Pakistan to dominant win over India in Under-19 Asia Cup final | Cricket News

Sameer Minhas’ record 172 powers Pakistan to dominant win over India in Under-19 Asia Cup final | Cricket News

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India entered Sunday’s Under-19 Asia Cup final against Pakistan at Dubai’s ICC academy ground as the favourite. But history has shown time and again that Pakistan thrive when they are underdogs, especially in high-stakes encounters – and they lived up to that reputation once more. The Farhan Yousaf-led side produced a near-flawless performance to outplay India by 191 runs and lift the Under-19 Asia Cup title at Dubai’s ICC academy ground, leaving India searching for answers at the business end of their World Cup preparations. Chasing a mammoth 348 runs for victory, Vaibhav Suryavanshi did what he does best, giving India the kickstart they needed by scoring 21 runs in the first over. But his captain at the other end – Ayush Mhatre, in need of a substantial score, fell cheaply again, caught at mid-off by his counterpart Yousaf for two runs off Ali Raza. The onus was on the in-form Aaron George to deliver, and he began with four boundaries, but a short ball from Mohammad Sayyam led to his downfall in the fourth …

Under-19 Asia Cup: Calm Aaron George, composed Vihaan Malhotra help India beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to set up mouth-watering finale against Pakistan | Cricket News

Under-19 Asia Cup: Calm Aaron George, composed Vihaan Malhotra help India beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to set up mouth-watering finale against Pakistan | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Much of the attention in the present India Under-19 team has centered on Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhigyan Kundu, whose batting exploits took the side into the semifinals. But on Friday, it was time for others to shoulder responsibility – and Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra answered the call emphatically, guiding India into the Under-19 Asia Cup final with a win over Sri Lanka in the semi-final at the ICC academy ground in Dubai. Chasing a modest 139 in a rain-curtailed 20-over contest, India found themselves in a bit of a hole at 25 for 2 inside four overs after captain Ayush Mhatre and Suryavanshi fell cheaply for seven and nine runs, respectively. Malhotra, initially watchful, found his rhythm with a towering six over deep backward square leg, gradually loosening the pressure. At the other end, George – an admirer of AB de Villiers – showcased his quality through sharp running between the wickets and well-judged boundary-hitting. The pair chipped away at the target by showing immense maturity, milking the Sri Lankan bowlers to different parts …