Cricket legends Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, and Gautam Gambhir praised India’s Under-19 team after they won their sixth World Cup title on Thursday. India beat England by 100 runs in the final at Harare Sports Club. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed 175 runs off 80 balls with 15 sixes. That broke multiple records in one innings.
Kohli posted on social media saying India’s domination in age-group cricket and beyond continues. He won the Under-19 World Cup himself back in 2008. Tendulkar also congratulated the young team. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the performance inspiring for young athletes across the country.
Sooryavanshi’s Record-Breaking Knock
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked in at 14 years old and tore England’s bowling apart. He hit 15 sixes in his innings. That became the most sixes ever scored in an Under-19 World Cup final. He also smashed 15 fours. His 175 runs came off just 80 balls.
The teenager reached his century in 55 balls. He got to 150 runs in 71 balls. That is the fastest 150 in Under-19 World Cup history. Sooryavanshi also became the youngest player to score 150 or more runs in an Under-19 World Cup final. Captain Ayush Mhatre stayed with him for a 142-run partnership. Mhatre made 53 runs off 51 balls before getting out, building on the strong preparation from India U19 squad announcement earlier in the tournament.
India Post 411 in Final
India finished their 50 overs on 411 for nine wickets. That became the highest total ever scored in an Under-19 World Cup final. Kanishk Chouhan added 37 runs off just 20 balls lower down the order. The total put England under massive pressure from the start of their chase.
England tried to fight back through Caleb Falconer. He scored 115 runs off 67 balls. Ben Dawkins made 66 and Mayes got 45. But they kept losing wickets at the other end. India’s bowling attack stayed tight. RS Ambrish took three wickets for 56 runs. Deepesh Devendran picked up two wickets. England got bowled out for 311 in 40.2 overs.
Kohli Leads Legend Tributes
Virat Kohli led the congratulations from India’s senior players. His message about continued domination carries weight because he captained India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup title. That tournament launched his international career. Now he sees the next generation doing the same thing.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir said the win shows the bright future of Indian cricket. Suryakumar Yadav praised Sooryavanshi’s mentality and finishing power. Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin called it fearless modern white-ball cricket. Harbhajan Singh described the campaign as a dominating performance from start to finish, following their earlier success in the U19 South Africa win during the tournament.
International stars also noticed. Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn predicted IPL success for Sooryavanshi in the coming years. West Indies legend Ian Bishop praised India’s discipline, power, and cricket intelligence throughout the tournament.
BCCI officials joined in. Vice-President Rajeev Shukla acknowledged the commanding run through the tournament. President Mithun Manhas credited the teamwork, maturity, and fearless approach shown by the young squad.
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India’s Record Sixth Title
This is India’s sixth Under-19 World Cup title. No other country has won more than three. The team went through the tournament unbeaten. They topped their group and won every knockout match convincingly.
India have now won Under-19 World Cups in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, and 2026. Many players from those teams went on to become stars for the senior side. Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, and Prithvi Shaw all played in Under-19 World Cups before making it big.
Sooryavanshi at 14 is the youngest player to make this kind of impact in a final. His 175 runs beat previous records by a big margin. The 15 sixes in one innings shows how modern young players are thinking about the game. They attack from ball one without fear.
The win keeps India’s reputation as the best producers of young cricket talent in the world. The BCCI’s investment in age-group cricket continues to pay off. Every few years a new batch of talented players comes through the system ready for international cricket.
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