India win 6th U19 World Cup crown after Sooryavanshi 175 scorches England

India were crowned world champions in men’s Under-19 cricket for a sixth time after turning the final into a spectacle of overwhelming authority, dismantling England by 100 runs at the Harare Sports Club on Friday, February 6. Powered by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking 175, the Ayush Mhatre-led side first piled up a towering 411 for 9 before bowling England out for 311 to seal one of the most emphatic title triumphs in the tournament’s history.

U19 World Cup Final: Highlights | Scorecard

At the heart of it was Sooryavanshi, whose record-shattering 175 was not merely an innings but a statement. Batting in a World Cup final with history on the line, the teenage left-hander delivered one of the most dominant knocks the tournament has seen.

Sooryavanshi raced to his century in just 55 balls, the second-fastest hundred in Under-19 World Cup history, having already surged to a 32-ball fifty. What followed was even more extraordinary. He tore through the England attack with escalating ferocity, bringing up his second fifty in only 23 deliveries as the field spread, the bowlers searched, and the scoreboard spiraled out of control.

By the time he was dismissed, Sooryavanshi had struck 30 boundaries, including 15 sixes, with 150 of his runs coming in fours and sixes alone. He became the youngest centurion in the tournament’s history, set a new record for the highest individual score in a World Cup final, and powered India to the highest total ever recorded in a title clash.

The records continued to tumble. His tally of 22 sixes across the tournament surpassed South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, whose mark of 18 had stood since 2022, while his 150 came up in just 71 balls, the fastest in Under-19 cricket. The scale of his dominance was best illustrated by a remarkable stretch in which batting partner Vedant Trivedi faced only four deliveries between Sooryavanshi’s hundred and 150.

India’s run rate hovered close to ten an over by the halfway stage, with projections briefly nudging towards 500, before Sooryavanshi fell in the 26th over attempting a scoop that found wicketkeeper Thomas Rew down the leg side. Even then, England’s players gathered to applaud an innings that had rendered the final one-sided long before the halfway point.

A fluent 142-run stand in just 19 overs with captain Ayush Mhatre, who struck a composed 53 from 51 balls, ensured India’s platform was unshakeable. After Sooryavanshi’s departure, Abhigyan Kundu, Vedant Trivedi, Vihaan Malhotra and Kanishk Chouhan sustained the momentum, carrying India beyond 400 despite a brief late rally from England’s bowlers.

FALCONER's LONE BATTLE IN VAIN

Caleb Falconer kept throwing back the punches, etching his name into the record books as England's fastest centurion in Youth ODIs. His effort, however, proved insufficient as England fell well short of the mammoth 412-run target in the title clash.

Chasing 412, England never truly found their footing. RS Ambrish and Henil Patel set the tone with probing maiden overs up front, immediately applying pressure. Joseph Moores attempted to counter-attack, striking three boundaries off Henil, but his resistance was brief. He chopped on to Ambrish soon after, leaving England reeling at 19 for 1 and already behind the asking rate.

Ben Dawkins and Ben Mayes offered brief resistance, guiding England to 64 for 1 after ten overs, but the partnership failed to settle the nerves. Mayes fell attempting a reverse hit off Khilan Patel, Tom Rew departed soon after, and from 142 for 3, the chase unravelled rapidly.

Captain Mhatre removed the dangerous Dawkins, a costly mix-up resulted in a run-out, and Deepesh Devendran struck twice in quick succession as England slumped to 177 for 7 after 22 overs. From there, the outcome was a formality, with India maintaining relentless pressure to close out a historic triumph.

Falconer provided England with a final flicker of resistance, combining power with sound shot selection. He struck two boundaries off Ayush Mhatre's off spin, a driven four and a six straight down the ground, before responding emphatically to Devendran's extra pace by taking four boundaries from an over, three of them off successive deliveries. The counterattack carried him to a 26-ball half-century and helped forge a 92-run stand with James Minto for the eighth wicket, briefly checking India's momentum.

It proved to be the highest partnership of England's innings, with Falconer doing the bulk of the scoring as the required rate continued to climb. The stand ended when Ambrish Chouhan, bowling over the wicket, dug the ball in short and Minto, attempting to muscle it across the line, edged thickly to backward point, where substitute fielder Mohammed Enaan completed a routine catch.

Any lingering hopes ended soon after. Chouhan struck again with a full delivery outside off, Falconer backing away in search of elevation through the off side but failing to clear backward point, where Khilan judged the catch well to wrap up the innings.

Chasing 412 in a World Cup final was always a daunting task, and despite a spirited effort, England eventually fell short as India sealed their third title in eight years.