The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup is a premier international cricket tournament for players under 19 years old, organized by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
First held in 1988 as the Youth Cricket World Cup, it became a biennial event starting in 1998. The competition serves as a crucial platform for nurturing young talent, with many participants going on to become stars in senior international cricket, such as Brian Lara, Yuvraj Singh, and Virat Kohli.
Over 15 completed editions, 16 teams typically compete in a format involving group stages, Super League rounds, and knockouts. India holds the record with five titles, followed by Australia with four and Pakistan with two. Other winners include Bangladesh, England, South Africa, and West
Indies.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi U19 World Cup Stats: Runs, Top Scores, Performance by Matches, Sixes
1988: Inaugural Edition in Australia
The first Under-19 World Cup, then called the Youth Cricket World Cup, featured eight teams, including an ICC Associates XI. Hosted by Australia, the tournament showcased future legends like Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Brian Lara. Australia emerged victorious in the final against Pakistan at Adelaide Oval, winning by 5 wickets after chasing 202 in 45.5 overs (Pakistan scored 201 in 49.3 overs). Brett Williams of Australia was the leading run-scorer with 471 runs, while Wayne Holdsworth and Mushtaq Ahmed shared the top wicket-taker honors with 19 each.
1998: Revival in South Africa
After a 10-year hiatus, the tournament returned with 16 teams, including debutants like Bangladesh and Kenya. England claimed their only title by defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the final at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (England 242/3 in 46 overs chasing New Zealand's 241/6). Chris Gayle led the run charts with 364 runs, and Ramnaresh Sarwan and Mluleki Nkala topped wickets with 16 each. Notably, the West Indies team faced age verification issues.
2000: India's First Triumph
India won their maiden title under Mohammed Kaif, beating hosts Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in Colombo (India 180/4 in 40.4 overs chasing 178). The team remained unbeaten, including a 170-run semi-final thrashing of Australia. Graeme Smith of South Africa scored the most runs (348), while Zahid Saeed of Pakistan took 15 wickets. Yuvraj Singh was named Player of the Series.
2002: Australia's Second Win in New Zealand
Australia secured their second crown by defeating South Africa by 7 wickets in Lincoln (Australia 209/3 in 45.1 overs chasing 206/9). They dominated, including a 430-run victory over Kenya. Cameron White led runs with 423, Xavier Doherty took 16 wickets, and Zimbabwe's Tatenda Taibu was Player of the Series.
2004: Pakistan's Debut Victory
Pakistan won by 25 runs against West Indies in Dhaka (Pakistan 230/9; West Indies 205). The event drew massive crowds, over 350,000. India's Shikhar Dhawan was Player of the Tournament with 505 runs, and Bangladesh's Enamul Haque took 22 wickets. Australia suffered a shock group-stage exit.
2006: Pakistan Defends in Sri Lanka
Pakistan retained the title with a 38-run win over India in Colombo (Pakistan 109; India 71). Despite collapsing to 109, their bowlers skittled India for the lowest total in a final. Cheteshwar Pujara of India was the top scorer overall.
2008: India's title under Virat Kohli
The first edition in an Associate nation saw India beat South Africa by 12 runs (D/L method) in Puchong (India 159; South Africa 103/8 in 25 overs). Tim Southee of New Zealand was Player of the Tournament, with India's Tanmay Srivastava leading runs.
2010: Australia's Third Title
Australia triumphed by 25 runs over Pakistan in Lincoln (Australia 207/9; Pakistan 182). Upsets marked the knockouts, including Pakistan's narrow win over India. South Africa's Dominic Hendricks topped runs with 391.
2012: India win in Australia
India chased down Australia's 225/8 with a 6-wicket win in Townsville (India 227/4). Captain Unmukt Chand's unbeaten 111 earned him Man of the Match. England's Reece Topley was the leading wicket-taker.
2014: South Africa break the Duck
South Africa won their first title by 6 wickets against Pakistan in Dubai (South Africa 134/4 chasing 131). They went unbeaten, with Aiden Markram as Player of the Series. Afghanistan reached the quarter-finals as a non-full member.
2016: West Indies' Historic Victory in Bangladesh
West Indies upset India by 5 wickets in Dhaka (West Indies 146/5 chasing 145). Bangladesh's Mehedi Hasan was Player of the Tournament. England's Jack Burnham scored 420 runs, Namibia's Fritz Coetzee took the most wickets.
2018: India's Fourth in New Zealand
India dominated Australia by 8 wickets in Mount Maunganui (India 220/2 chasing 216). Manjot Kalra's century won him Man of the Match, Shubman Gill was Player of the Tournament under coach Rahul Dravid.
2020: Bangladesh stun India
Bangladesh clinched their first ICC title by 3 wickets (D/L) over India in Potchefstroom (Bangladesh 170/7 chasing revised target). India's Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 400 runs, Ravi Bishnoi took 17 wickets.
2022: India's Fifth in West Indies
India beat England by 4 wickets in Antigua (India 195/6 chasing 189). South Africa's Dewald Brevis was Player of the Series with 506 runs, Sri Lanka's Dunith Wellalage took 17 wickets.
2024: Australia's Fourth in South Africa
Originally set for Sri Lanka but moved due to ICC suspension, Australia won by 79 runs against India in Benoni (Australia 253/7; India 174). South Africa's Kwena Maphaka was Player of the Tournament with 21 wickets, India's Uday Saharan scored 397 runs.
2026: India win against England
India scored a mammoth 411/9 in the final, courtesy of Vaibhav Suryavanshi's stunning 175 off just 80 deliveries. England got bowled out for 311 runs, as India won their sixth title.
U19 World Cup Winners and Runners-Up List
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Host(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Australia | Pakistan | Australia |
| 1998 | England | New Zealand | South Africa |
| 2000 | India | Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka |
| 2002 | Australia | South Africa | New Zealand |
| 2004 | Pakistan | West Indies | Bangladesh |
| 2006 | Pakistan | India | Sri Lanka |
| 2008 | India | South Africa | Malaysia |
| 2010 | Australia | Pakistan | New Zealand |
| 2012 | India | Australia | Australia |
| 2014 | South Africa | Pakistan | UAE |
| 2016 | West Indies | India | Bangladesh |
| 2018 | India | Australia | New Zealand |
| 2020 | Bangladesh | India | South Africa |
| 2022 | India | England | West Indies |
| 2024 | Australia | India | South Africa |
| 2026 | India | England | Zimbabwe & Namibia |
ICC U19 World Cup Winning Captains and Player of the Tournament by Edition
1988: Winner - Australia | Captain - Geoff Parker | Player of the Tournament - Not awarded
1998: Winner - England | Captain - Owais Shah | Player of the Tournament - Not awarded
2000: Winner - India | Captain - Mohammed Kaif | Player of the Tournament - Yuvraj Singh (India)
2002: Winner - Australia | Captain - Cameron White | Player of the Tournament - Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe)
2004: Winner - Pakistan | Captain - Khalid Latif | Player of the Tournament - Shikhar Dhawan (India)
2006: Winner - Pakistan | Captain - Sarfaraz Ahmed | Player of the Tournament - Cheteshwar Pujara (India)
2008: Winner - India | Captain - Virat Kohli | Player of the Tournament - Tim Southee (New Zealand)
2010: Winner - Australia | Captain - Mitchell Marsh | Player of the Tournament - Dominic Hendricks (South Africa)
2012: Winner - India | Captain - Unmukt Chand | Player of the Tournament - Will Bosisto (Australia)
2014: Winner - South Africa | Captain - Aiden Markram | Player of the Tournament - Aiden Markram (South Africa)
2016: Winner - West Indies | Captain - Shimron Hetmyer | Player of the Tournament - Mehedi Hasan (Bangladesh)
2018: Winner - India | Captain - Prithvi Shaw | Player of the Tournament - Shubman Gill (India)
2020: Winner - Bangladesh | Captain - Akbar Ali | Player of the Tournament - Yashasvi Jaiswal (India)
2022: Winner - India | Captain - Yash Dhull | Player of the Tournament - Dewald Brevis (South Africa)
2024: Winner - Australia | Captain - Hugh Weibgen | Player of the Tournament - Kwena Maphaka (South Africa)
2026: Winner - India | Captain - Ayush Mhatre | Player of the Tournament - TBA
