The Indian Under-19 team received widespread praise from the cricket fraternity after clinching a record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup title with a dominant 100-run victory over England in the final at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Friday.
Batting great Sachin Tendulkar lauded the young side’s fearless approach and singled out batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for praise.
“Champions! So proud of this young group and the fearless cricket they played. Well done to the entire team, including coaches and support staff. Enjoy the moment! When you have a Sooryavanshi, a timeless blockbuster is expected! Well done, Vaibhav!” Tendulkar posted on X.
Highlighting India’s continued dominance at the age-group level, former India captain Virat Kohli wrote, “Congratulations to the U-19 Indian team for lifting the World Cup once again. Our domination in the age-group cricket and beyond continues. Well done to the whole squad and the support staff.”
India head coach Gautam Gambhir also praised the team, saying, “Proud of you boys! The bright future is here!”
ICC Chairman Jay Shah congratulated the Indian team while also acknowledging England and the tournament hosts.
“Huge congratulations to India for their sixth ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup title! They are deserved winners, but England can also hold their heads high after a stirring run to the final. And well done to Zimbabwe Cricket and Cricket Namibia for hosting a wonderful tournament that showcased the future stars of our game,” Shah posted.
India, after winning the toss and electing to bat, posted a massive 411 for 9 in their 50 overs. England struck early when Alex Green dismissed semi-final centurion Aaron George, but India soon took control through an explosive innings by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Captain Ayush Mhatre contributed a composed 53, while Kanishk Chouhan added crucial late runs to push the total past 400.
England were unable to mount a sustained chase and were bowled out well short of the target, as India sealed a comprehensive 100-run win to lift the title.
