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Captain Ayush Mhatre’s explosive 27-ball 53 propelled India to a commanding seven-wicket victory over New Zealand via the DLS method in the ongoing ICC U19 World Cup 2026 in Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) on Saturday.
India demonstrated their all-round prowess in a rain-curtailed 37-over-per-side match, securing an easy win and reinforcing their dominance in the competition. Pursuing a revised target of 130, India comfortably reached 130 for three in just 13.3 overs, marking their third consecutive victory and placing them at the top of Group B.
RS Ambrish (8-1-29-4) and Henil Patel (7.2-1-23-3) spearheaded the Indian bowling attack early on, having elected to field first in the rain-shortened game. New Zealand struggled from the outset and were reduced to 69 for 7, eventually being bowled out for 135 in 36.2 overs.
Snehith Reddy (10) was the only New Zealand batter among the top five to reach double figures. Although the lower order showed some resistance, New Zealand’s total was never challenging enough. Contributions from Jacob Cotter (23), Callum Samson (37), and Selwin Sanjay (28) added some late runs, but they failed to dominate the Indian bowlers. Khilan Patel, Mohamed Enaan, and Kanish Chouhan each claimed a wicket for India.
In response, India lost Aaron George (7) early, but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (40 off 23 balls; 2 fours, 3 sixes) and skipper Mhatre steadied the innings with a solid 76-run partnership for the second wicket. Both Sooryavanshi and Mhatre maintained a strike rate over 150, dismantling the New Zealand bowling attack.
Sooryavanshi fell short of his milestone when he was caught by Mason Clarke off Jaskaran Sandhu. Mhatre, however, reached his fifty, scoring 53 off 27 balls with two fours and six sixes, before being caught by Flynn Morey off Selwin. Vihaan Malhotra (17 not out) and Vedant Trivedi (13 not out) then guided India to victory midway through the 14th over.
After the match, Mhatre commented on the team’s straightforward approach and readiness for bouncers, adding that the players’ confidence and adaptability to weather conditions were crucial in the win.
Brief Scores: New Zealand: 135 all out in 36.2 overs (Callum Samson 37; RS Ambrish 4/29, Henil Patel 3/23) vs India: 130 for 3 in 13.3 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 40, Ayush Mhatre 53; Selwin Sanjay 1/22).
