Harare, February 7: India has secured the Under-19 World Cup 2026 title under the captaincy of Ayush Mhatre. Mhatre becomes the sixth captain to lead India to this prestigious victory. Following the win, he praised opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who scored an impressive 175 runs.
In this match, Suryavanshi faced 80 balls, hitting 15 fours and as many sixes during his remarkable innings. He formed a crucial partnership of 142 runs with captain Mhatre and an 89-run stand with Vedant Trivedi. The captain commended the 14-year-old player, stating, “If he continues to work hard like this, we have no words to describe his performance. He played brilliantly, and we know he is an exceptional batsman. He showcased what he is capable of in this match.”
Expressing his joy over the victory, Ayush Mhatre said, “I cannot put my emotions into words. This has been a memorable moment and a fantastic journey for us. Our players performed exceptionally well. We achieved the goals we set and played in our natural style. I am very happy about that.”
He added, “We are pleased to carry forward the legacy established by Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet, who won the World Cup. Now we have also lifted the trophy. While we may not play together as this team in the future, we will continue with the same mindset and style of cricket.”
The captain credited the support staff for their success, saying, “Words fall short for them. They have been working tirelessly with us for the past 7-8 months. All the credit goes to them for the effort they put into our training.”
In the final match held at Harare Sports Club, India scored 411 runs, losing 9 wickets. In response, England was bowled out for just 311 runs in 40.2 overs.
