India's Under-19 squad signed off their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, dominating England in the final to bring home a sixth U19 World Cup crown. Spurred by an unrelenting batting masterclass from Vaibhav Suryavanshi (175 off 80 balls), India U19 posted an imposing 411 in 50 overs.
In response, England U19 were only able to muster 311 before being bowled out in the 41st over as India U19 sealed an emphatic 100-run victory.
This title run has featured some remarkable game-changing knocks and decisive spells, as several players rose to the occasion at key moments to help the team's cause. Here's a look at the standout performers who stole the show for India at the U19 World Cup.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi
The heartbeat of India's title charge in Zimbabwe, 14-year-old Suryavanshi produced arguably the most-memorable innings in Youth ODIs. The southpaw smashed an astonishing 15 sixes and 15 fours in the Final as he posted 175 off just 80 balls - the highest individual score ever in an U19 World Cup final.
He reached his fifty from just 32 balls and his century in 55 deliveries, underscoring his fearlessness and his knack to find the ropes, with 150 runs coming from boundaries alone.
Overall in the tournament, Suryavanshi finished as the second-highest run scorer with 439 runs from seven matches, only five behind leading run-scorer Ben Mayes of England. Notably, he finished with a strike rate of 169.49, which was the highest by any batter in the tournament, hitting 41 fours and 30 sixes.
Suryavanshi's exploits not only bagged him the Player of the Match title in the Final but he also returns home after being crowned the Player of the Series.
Aaron George
Another defining performer in India's U19 World Cup campaign was all-rounder Aaron George, who stood up when it mattered most. In perhaps the tournament's most pressure-packed fixture for India, the semifinal against Afghanistan U19, India faced a daunting chase of 311, the highest-ever total to be successfully chased in U19 World Cup history.
George anchored India's reply with a spectacular 115 runs off 104 balls, smashing 15 fours and two sixes as he paced the chase with remarkable maturity carrying his side to victory with more than 50 balls to spare.
Ayush Mhatre
The captain of India's U19 side at the 2026 World Cup, Ayush Mhatre provided a mature display of leadership as well as substantial batting contributions that helped steer the team to a record-extending sixth title.
The right-handed batter finished the tournament with 214 runs in seven matches, including crucial half-centuries in both the semifinal and the Final, scoring 53 in the title clash against England U19 and a composed knock of 62 in the semifinal as his 114-run partnership with George helped lay the foundation for their record run chase.
Vihaan Malhotra
The left-handed batter and right-arm offspinner, Vihaan Malhotra shone with both bat and ball in the tournament, notching up 240 runs from seven matches while also bagging five wickets. Malhotra finished the tournament as India's second-highest run scorer.
Malhotra's defining moment came at the start of the Super Sixes stage as he posted an unbeaten 109 against hosts Zimbabwe in a Player of the Match performance. He also took 4/14 in a group stage game against Bangladesh to power India to victory in a rain-affected game.
Henil Patel
Announcing himself in style on the big stage, Henil Patel nabbed impressive figures of 5/16 against USA U19 in India's tournament opener. The right-arm medium pacer was India's joint highest wicket-taker in Zimbabwe, finishing with an impressive tally of 11 wickets from seven matches and also maintaining an impressive average of just 17.72.
Patel also chipped in with other useful contributions throughout the event, including key wickets against New Zealand U19 (3/23) and an economical spell against Bangladesh U19 (1/17), proving he could consistently trouble batters across conditions.
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