U-19 World Cup Final: Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashes 175, puts India in strong position against England

Harare: In the U-19 World Cup final, Vaibhav Suryavanshi unleashed a spectacular performance. He played a historic innings of 175 runs off 80 balls, putting India in a strong position. Vaibhav has been dismissed, but the team looks to be in a commanding position.

How have the Indian batters performed?

The Indian batsmen have completely dominated the English bowlers. India didn't have a great start, but the partnership for the second wicket has been exceptional. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's form in the final is a good sign for India. The eyes of the cricket world are currently fixed on the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe, where the final match of the Under-19 World Cup 2026 is being played between India and England. India won the toss and elected to bat first.

What is India’s record at U-19 World Cup?

India has been the most successful team in the history of the Under-19 World Cup, having won the title 5 times so far.

1. Mohammad Kaif (1999): He led India to their first Under-19 World Cup victory by defeating Sri Lanka in the final.

2. Virat Kohli (2008): Under his captaincy, India won their second title by defeating South Africa.

3. Unmukt Chand (2012): He scored a magnificent century in the final against Australia, leading the team to victory.

4. Prithvi Shaw (2018): The team led by him achieved the glory of becoming world champions for the fourth time by defeating Australia.

5. Yash Dhull (2022): He won India's fifth and most recent title by defeating England in the final.

The big question is whether Ayush Mhatre will be able to lead India to their sixth title and make them champions once again.

Have the Indian team made any changes?

The Indian team has taken the field without any changes. The England team, however, has made one change. India chased down a big score in the semi-final and defeated Afghanistan.  As a result, the team's players are full of confidence, and that is evident on the field.

The Indian team is playing for the Under-19 World Cup title for the sixth time. A ​​remarkable aspect of the Indian team is that since 2016, they have reached the Under-19 World Cup final six consecutive times. While their winning percentage in the finals has been low during this period, this time presents a special opportunity for the team, especially after comprehensively defeating teams like Pakistan and Afghanistan to reach the final.

Under the captaincy of Ayush Mhatre, the Indian team has performed brilliantly so far. They have taken the field with the intention of becoming world champions once again. On the other hand, the England team, led by Thomas Rew, is fully prepared to overcome the Indian challenge and claim the trophy.

Squads:

India U19 Squad: Ayush Mhatre (Captain), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Aaron George, Vihan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wicketkeeper), R.S. Ambarish, Kanishk Chauhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran, Harvansh Pangalia, Mohammad Enan, Uddhav Mohan, Kishan Kumar Singh.

England U19 Squad: Thomas Rew (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Ben Dawkins, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes, Caleb Faulkner, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden, Alex French, Alex Green, Isaac Mohammed, Luke Hands, Will Benison, Ali Farooq.