|
A scintillating 175-run knock by Vaibhav Suryavanshi helped India U19 overpower England U19 by 100 runs in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final on Friday, securing their sixth title in the tournament's history.
After opting to bat first, India posted a mammoth 411/9, with Suryavanshi smashing 15 fours and 15 sixes off just 80 balls. Captain Ayush Mhatre added a steady 53 off 51 balls, while Abhigyan Kundu contributed a brisk 40 off 31 balls, ensuring a formidable total for the young English side. Despite Caleb Falconer's valiant 115 off 67 balls, England fell short, unable to chase down the record target of 412. Speaking after the historic win, India U19 all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan said, "I will try and keep doing well and want to contribute to the team as much as I can. Sir (Kanitkar) just told me to be calm and do my role well, not think about the score. We knew they would come hard at us; 700 runs were scored. We just wanted to bowl the correct line and lengths," according to Cricbuzz. Opener batter Aaron George, who made a century in the semi-final match against Afghanistan while chasing a big target, added, "It hasn't really sunk in; I want to celebrate with my teammates. Vaibhav did a great job; we batted them out of the game. Nothing specific, but let's see (on the celebrations)." Head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar praised his players' composure, saying, "Great feeling, I've been here before, but it's special for the boys. After the fight the England team put up, it was a good win for us. It is one of the major goals, that's what we do at the CoE (Centre of Excellence) in the BCCI Academy. Trophies are good, but it's the development which is very important. Just have dinner and go to sleep." Reflecting on the pressure moments during the match, Abhigyan Kundu said, "I did feel the pressure at times, we just needed to hold onto it, back our bowlers and the fielders -- our lines and lengths were good. We're going to celebrate, it's a good reward for all the hard work over the past two years. We lost against Australia then, and this is a sort of revenge. I really liked the way Vaibhav played." India's record-shattering total and disciplined bowling performance highlighted the depth of talent emerging from the BCCI Academy, further cementing their status as a dominant force in Under-19 cricket. The victory also extended England U19's wait for a second World Cup title, the last being in 1998. Brief Scores: India: 411/9 (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 175, Ayush Mhatre 53, James Minto 3/63) beat England: 311 (Caleb Falconer 115, Ben Dawkins 66, RS Ambrish 3/56). (ANI)
|
