Bulawayo, Jan 27 (.) There are days in cricket when one side gets everything right, and this was emphatically one such day for India Under-19, who outplayed Zimbabwe Under-19 in every department to register a thumping 204-run victory in the sixth Super Six Group 2 (B,C) match of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 at the Queens Sports Club here on Tuesday.
Put in to bat, India showed from the very first over that they meant business. The opening pair went after anything loose, setting the tempo early.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, in particular, was a delight to watch — quick on the back foot, decisive in his footwork and fearless in execution. His 52 off just 30 balls was not about blind hitting; it was about picking the right deliveries and dispatching them to the right areas.
Aaron George (23) played his part before throwing his wicket away, a reminder that good starts must always be converted.
Zimbabwe did pull things back briefly through Tatenda Chimugoro, who removed Ayush Mhatre (21) and Sooryavanshi in the same over, and later Vedant Trivedi (15). At that stage, with India four down, there was a hint of a contest. But that was as good as it got for the hosts.
What followed was the defining partnership of the match. Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu (61 off 62) batted with maturity beyond their years. Malhotra, in particular, produced a knock that any coach would applaud. He did not chase the big shots early, trusted his defence and rotation of strike, and then expanded his range once set.
Kundu, at the other end, was more enterprising, using the sweep and the pull effectively, and the pair ensured that Zimbabwe were not allowed back into the game.
Malhotra brought up his hundred in slightly fortunate fashion, but there are no lucky hundreds at this level — you still have to be there, ball after ball. His unbeaten 109 was the spine of the innings.
India crossed 300 with overs to spare, and the late cameo from Khilan Patel (30 off 12) was the icing on the cake. Patel’s three sixes were struck with clean power, and although he fell attempting another big hit, he had already done the damage.
Chasing 353 was always going to be a stiff task, and Zimbabwe’s troubles began immediately. RS Ambrish struck with his second ball, trapping Nathaniel Hlabangana lbw, and from then on, wickets fell at regular intervals.
Kian Blignaut (37 off 73) and Leeroy Chiwaula showed resistance, and Chiwaula in particular played a spirited innings, reaching a well-earned fifty and later 62 with some attractive strokeplay.
However, India spinners and seamers worked in tandem, never allowing the pressure to ease. Ayush Mhatre led from the front, varying his pace and getting sharp turn to pick up three wickets, including a beauty that bowled Michael Blignaut (0).
Udhav Mohan was equally impressive, hitting the right lengths and finishing the innings with three wickets of his own, the final one knocking over Webster Madhidhi to bring matters to a close.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 148 in 37.4 overs, a reflection of India’s discipline with the ball and sharpness in the field.
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bowl, but by the end of the day, this was a reminder that sound technique, patience, and intelligent aggression remain the cornerstones of success — lessons that this India Under-19 side seems to have learnt very well indeed.
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