Sooryavanshi's big knock helps India U19 set mammoth 412-run target for England in U19 WC final

Harare [Zimbabwe], February 6 (ANI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's blistering knock of 175 runs off just 80 balls propelled India U19 to a massive total of 411/9, setting a daunting target of 412 for England U19 in the title clash of the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup 2026 held at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Friday.
Opting to bat first, India U19 opened with the in-form pair of Aaron George and Sooryavanshi. Centurion in the semi-final, George got off the mark with a boundary in the first over against Sebastian Morgan.

The 14-year-old Sooryavanshi targeted Alex Green in the next over and hit his first boundary. Green got the first breakthrough when he dismissed George for just nine runs in the fourth over of the innings.
Captain Ayush Mhatre joined Sooryavanshi and took his time to get off the mark with a boundary on his 11th delivery in the match. Mhatre targeted Manny Lumsden and hit him for two fours and a six in his first over.
Sooryavanshi, on the other hand, kept finding boundaries at regular intervals and kept the scoreboard moving. James Minto was introduced into the attack in the ninth over, and he extracted 18 runs, including three fours and a six.
Mhatre managed to get two more boundaries in the next over of Lumsden.
Farhan Ahmed was introduced in the next over, and Sooryavanshi hit him for a six and completed his fifty with a single in just 32 balls.
India U19 reached 100 runs in the 14th over, and the left-handed batter started the next over with two consecutive sixes off Ahmed. The duo also completed a 100-run stand for the second wicket in the same over.
Sooryavanshi targeted Ahmed again in the 17th over and hit him for three sixes and a four to collect 22 runs from the over.
Mhatre completed his half-century in the 19th over with a six off Green, but lost his wicket on the very next delivery. He made 53 off 51 balls. Vedant Trivedi replaced him at the crease.
Sooryavanshi completed his century with a single in the 20th over. He reached the milestone in just 55 balls. This is the second-fastest ton by any batter after Will Malajczuk of Australia, who made a 51-ball ton against Japan earlier in this edition.
Sooryavanshi started going berserk after that and collected 27 runs in the next over of Ralphie Albert.
In the next over of Morgan, Sooryavanshi reached his 150 with a six. His 150 runs came in just 71 balls, which is the fastest 150 in the history of the tournament. He smashed two sixes and four in the next over of Morgan.
In the 26th over, Lumsden dismissed Sooryavanshi at the score of 175 runs. He hit 15 fours and as many sixes in his mammoth innings. Before this knock, Sooryavanshi had hit 15 sixes, and he finished with 30 sixes in the tournament, which is the highest in the tournament's history.
His 15 sixes in an innings is also the highest by any batter in a U19 World Cup innings.
Trivedi (32 off 36 balls) and Vihaan Malhotra (30 off 36 balls) also played well and kept the scorecard moving. Abhigyan Kundu's 40 off 31 balls helped India not lose the momentum.
Kanishk Chouhan 37 not out off 20 balls, helped India cross the 400-run mark. India finished with 411/9 after 50 overs.
On the bowling front, Minto claimed three wickets, while Green and Morgan shared two wickets each.
England U19 now face the formidable task of chasing a record 412-run target to claim the title, while India U19 look to extend their record with a sixth U19 World Cup trophy. (ANI)