Story by Lawrence Trusida, Sports Editor
INDIA underlined their enduring dominance of youth cricket on Friday after defeating England by 100 runs to claim a record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup title in the final at Harare Sports Club.
This comes after 23 days of competition, 16 teams battling it out across the country and some in Namibia, producing 41 matches of high-quality youth cricket.
India’s emphatic victory brings the curtain down on a landmark tournament hosted by Zimbabwe, which staged a World Cup final for the first time in any format.
In the end, all attention narrowed to one match, the final, where India delivered a commanding performance on the biggest stage.
The day belonged to India’s 14-year-old batting sensation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who set a new record for the highest score in an Under-19 Cricket World Cup final as he struck a superb 175 from 80 balls in his side’s 100-run win over England.
Suryavanshi, who turns 15 next month, struck 30 boundaries, evenly shared between fours and sixes.
He had a remarkable strike rate of 218.75, and left India with one hand on the trophy as they posted 411-9 when batting first in Harare.
After posting the formidable total, India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout England’s chase, sealing a convincing win and reaffirming the country’s dominance at Under-19 level.
Beyond the result, the tournament marks a significant re-engagement of world cricket with Zimbabwe.
Traditional powers such as England and Australia, who have not toured Zimbabwe regularly in recent years, return as part of the global event.
For Zimbabwe, the successful hosting of the Under-19 World Cup is a dress rehearsal for the senior men’s Cricket World Cup, which the country is set to host next year, reinforcing confidence in Zimbabwe’s readiness to stage cricket’s biggest tournaments on the world stage.
