Star India batter Ayush Mhatre on Friday joined the likes of ace batter Virat Kohli and Unmukt Chand to become the sixth cricketer to lead India to a U19 World Cup title, the sixth in the country’s history,
a record-extending feat.
Cricket’s latest wunderkind, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, produced a breathtaking knock for the ages to power India to a record-extending sixth U-19 World Cup title, crushing England by 100 runs in the final at Harare on Friday.
Sooryavanshi’s blistering 175 off 80 deliveries, featuring a record 15 sixes and as many boundaries, powered India to a daunting 411/9 after England elected to bowl first.
Let us take a look at India’s six titles:
2000: India won their first title in the third edition of the tournament, under the leadership of Mohammed Kaif. Having bowled Sri Lanka out for a paltry 178, thanks to Shalabh Srivastava’s three wickets, India chased down the target in the 41st over.
Former India all-rounder Reetinder Sodhi was awarded the Player of the Match, while Yuvraj Singh was Player of the Series.
2008: It took India another four editions to win their second title, under the captaincy of Kohli. Defending a lowly 116 from 25 overs in a rain-affected game, India restricted South Africa to a paltry 103/8, with Ajitesh Argal, Ravindra Jadeja and Siddharth Kaul picking two wickets apiece.
Argal was awarded Player of the Match.
2012: India won their third U19 World Cup title under Unmukt Chand. Chasing 226 against Australia and having lost Prashant Chopra in the second over, the former added 73 runs for the second wicket with Baba Aparajith.
India slipped to 97/4 in the 25th over, but Chand and wicketkeeper Smit Patel stitched together a match-winning 130-run stand for the fifth wicket to guide India home.
2018: India clinched their fourth U19 World Cup title under the leadership of Prithvi Shaw. Chasing 217 against Australia, Shaw and Manjot Kalra built a 71-run opening partnership.
After Shaw was dismissed by Will Sutherland in the 12th over, Kalra and India’s current Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill added 60 runs for the second wicket.
After Gill was dismissed by Param Uppal in the 22nd over, Kalra and wicketkeeper Harvik Desai added 89 runs for the third wicket to take India over the line.
2022: India bagged their fifth U19 World Cup title with Yash Dhull at the helm. Having restricted England to 189, thanks to a five-wicket haul from Raj Bawa, India chased down the target in the 48th over.
Bawa was awarded the Player of the Match.
2026: Ayush Mhatre capped off the elite list on Friday with India’s sixth U19 World Cup title. Having posted a whopping 411, India bowled England out for 311, riding on three wickets from RS Ambrish.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was awarded the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series.
