In an exhilarating U19 World Cup 2026 final held in Harare, India triumphed over England with a commanding 100-run victory, marking their sixth title win. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, aged just 14, played a masterful innings of 175 runs, proving himself a hero in high-pressure matches. His performance laid a strong foundation for his potential inclusion in India's senior team. Friday's innings displayed his exceptional talent.
Declared Player of the Match, young left-hander Vaibhav Suryavanshi created an unforgettable storm, which will be remembered for ages. Scoring a blazing 175 from merely 80 balls elevated India's standing and shook the record books, all while imparting a crucial batting lesson to the English team.
This innings recorded the first 150+ score in U19 World Cup knockout games. Before this, West Indies' Nicholas Pooran held the record with 143 runs in the 2014 quarter-final. Previously, the highest score in a final was Unmukt Chand's 111* (2012), which Suryavanshi superseded significantly.
Vaibhav's 175-run feat became the second-highest innings in India's Youth One Day International history, only behind Ambati Rayudu's unbeaten 177 against England U19 in 2002. Notably, Suryavanshi had already smashed 171 against UAE U19 in December, now ranking third on the list.
At just 14 years and 316 days, Suryavanshi etched his name as the youngest centurion in U19 World Cup history. The previous record was held by Babar Azam, scoring a century at 15 years and 92 days in 2010. Among those achieving centuries before age 15 in Youth One Day Internationals, only Suryavanshi (4) and Bangladesh's Nazmul Hussain Shanto (1) share this feat.
Completing his century in just 55 balls, Suryavanshi recorded the tournament's second-fastest century, only behind Australia's Will Malachuk's 51-ball century in the same competition. Additionally, with 150 runs in 71 balls, he set the fastest 150 record at this level.
Suryavanshi's staggering strike rate of 218.75 became the highest in U19 World Cup history for innings with at least 50 balls faced. With 15 sixes, he set the record for the most sixes in any single Youth ODI innings.
Throughout the tournament, Suryavanshi hit 30 sixes, achieving the highest count by any player in U19 World Cup history. He amassed a total of 110 sixes across 25 Youth ODI innings, doubling the player in second place.
Suryavanshi achieved four 50+ scores, each with a strike rate above 100%, becoming the first player to accomplish this feat. He accumulated 439 runs in the tournament, ranking as the fifth-highest individual score in a single edition.
With Suryavanshi's historic innings as their foundation, India posted an imposing 411/9 in their 50 overs, the first 350+ score in U19 World Cup knockout history. Before this, India's highest score was 349/6 against Namibia in the 2016 quarter-final. The prior highest score in a final was Australia's 253/7 (2024).
This match also marked India's third 400+ score in U19 World Cup history, with no other team achieving it more than once. The epic final on Harare's pitch is forever etched with Vaibhav Suryavanshi's name, and he has firmly staked his claim for a spot in the senior national team.
