Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Smashes Record U19 World Cup Final Century

On a sun-drenched afternoon at Harare Sports Club, cricket fans witnessed a performance for the ages as India’s teenage sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, tore into England’s bowling attack in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final on February 6, 2026. The 14-year-old opener wrote his name into the record books with a blistering 175 off just 80 balls, an innings that will be talked about for years to come.

From the outset, Sooryavanshi looked in complete control. After India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre won the toss and elected to bat, the pressure was on—the final, after all, is cricket’s grandest youth stage. Both India and England had arrived undefeated, with India dispatching Afghanistan in their semifinal and England overcoming arch-rivals Australia. The stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Sooryavanshi’s start was measured. Losing his opening partner Aaron George in the fourth over could have rattled the nerves, but the left-hander showed composure well beyond his years. He began by finding the gaps with precision, and as his timing clicked, the boundaries started to flow. Over after over, England’s bowlers tried everything—pace, spin, changes of length and speed—but Sooryavanshi read them all, adjusting with minimal fuss and maximum effect.

By the 20th over, Sooryavanshi had reached his century with a single off Ralphie Albert. He brought up the milestone in just 55 balls, making it the second fastest U19 World Cup hundred ever, and the third quickest in an Under-19 final for an Indian, after Unmukt Chand and Manjot Kalra. But this was just the beginning of his onslaught. The next 50 runs came off a mere 16 balls—acceleration without chaos, power applied with surgical precision.

His partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre was crucial. The pair added 142 runs for the second wicket, laying the foundation for a mammoth total. Mhatre played the anchor, rotating the strike and ensuring Sooryavanshi had the freedom to attack. Mhatre eventually fell in the 19th over to Alex Green, but by then, India had seized control.

Sooryavanshi’s innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression. He struck 15 fours and 15 sixes, peppering every corner of the ground and surpassing Dewald Brevis’ previous record for most sixes in an Under-19 men’s World Cup. With each towering hit, he etched his name deeper into cricketing lore. His 175 is now the highest individual score in an U19 World Cup final, surpassing Unmukt Chand’s 112 against Australia in 2012. The records kept tumbling: Sooryavanshi became the first batter to hit 100 sixes in Youth ODIs, and his 218.75 strike rate in a World Cup final is simply staggering.

What set this innings apart was its maturity. There were no wild swings or desperate slogs. As one report put it, “What separated this innings from a routine power display was its control. There was no slogging, no wild swings born of pressure. Even as boundaries flowed, Sooryavanshi stayed balanced, head still, bat coming down cleanly.” England’s spinners, particularly Farhan Ahmed and Ralphie Albert, bore the brunt of his dominance. He used his feet decisively, picked his moments to go aerial, and punished anything short or wide. In one unforgettable over off Ahmed, Sooryavanshi hammered three sixes and a boundary, collecting 18 runs and leaving both teammates and opponents in awe.

Sooryavanshi’s journey to the final had been marked by consistency rather than fireworks—scores of 2, 72, 40, 52, 30, and 68. But on the biggest stage, he produced the innings that had so far eluded him, blending composure, power, and rare clarity of thought. The crowd at Harare Sports Club responded in kind, rising to their feet as he marched past 150 in just 23 overs and took India beyond 200 in only 22 overs. Even as the runs piled up, Sooryavanshi showed no sign of nerves, his focus unwavering, his shot selection unerring.

His remarkable innings finally ended in the 26th over when Manny Lumsden found the edge and wicketkeeper Thomas Rew completed the catch. Sooryavanshi walked off to a standing ovation, having single-handedly tilted the final in India’s favor. His knock not only cemented his position as the tournament’s leading run-scorer but also propelled India closer to a record sixth U19 World Cup title.

The playing XIs for the final read like a who’s who of rising talent. For India: Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (w), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, and Deepesh Devendran. England fielded Ben Dawkins, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes, Thomas Rew (w/c), Caleb Falconer, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden, and Alex Green. India went in unchanged, while England swapped Alex French for Alex Green.

Both teams had been flawless throughout the tournament, raising the stakes for this final showdown. India’s semifinal win over Afghanistan was clinical, while England’s victory against Australia was a hard-fought battle. The anticipation for the final had been building for days, and Sooryavanshi’s performance did not disappoint.

As the dust settles at Harare, one thing is clear: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 175 will be remembered as one of the greatest innings in Under-19 World Cup history. His blend of composure, aggression, and sheer talent has set a new benchmark for young cricketers everywhere. With India now on the brink of a record sixth title, the cricketing world waits eagerly to see if this golden generation can finish the job.

For now, though, the spotlight belongs to Sooryavanshi—a prodigy whose bat spoke louder than any hype, and whose innings has already become the stuff of legend.