Young India Rules World Cricket
In the final, India’s youngsters defeated England by 100 runs to clinch the Under-19 World Cup for a record sixth time. The hero of India’s title triumph was the explosive batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi. With this victory, India became the first team to win the Under-19 World Cup six times, while Australia remain second with four titles.
Vaibhav’s breathtaking batting made the final a completely one-sided affair. The 14-year-old smashed a sensational 175 runs off just 80 balls, hitting 15 fours and 15 sixes while playing for the Under-19 team. This was the fastest 150-plus score in youth cricket history.
He broke West Indies’ Nicholas Pooran’s record of 143 runs for the best knock in a playoff match. Vaibhav also set a world record by hitting 15 sixes in a single innings, surpassing Australia’s Michael Hill’s record of 12 sixes. He became the third Indian and the sixth batter in the world to score a century in an Under-19 World Cup final. In the process, he broke Unmukt Chand’s record of 111 runs for the highest individual score by an Indian in a final.He also registered the second-fastest century in just 55 balls. Earlier in the tournament, Australia’s Will Malazuk had scored a 51-ball century against Japan. However, Vaibhav finished the tournament with a record 30 sixes, surpassing South Africa’s Dewald Brevis and New Zealand’s Finn Allen, who had 18 each. By hitting the most sixes in a single innings, he broke his own previous record of 14 sixes. He also smashed the fastest 150 in just 71 balls, breaking England’s Ben Mayes’ record of 98 balls. With a total of 1,412 runs, Vaibhav surpassed Pakistan’s Babar Azam’s record of 1,271 runs, further enriching India’s glorious cricketing legacy.