Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a historic 175 to lead India to a dominant position in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup final against England in Harare, setting multiple records with the highest individual score in a knockout match.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a once-in-a-generation innings, blasting a sensational 175 to put India firmly in control of the 2026 Under-19 World Cup final against England in Harare. The left-hander’s extraordinary knock not only tilted the title clash heavily in India’s favour but also saw him dismantle record books across age-group cricket.
His 175 is the first score of 150 or more in an Under-19 World Cup knockout match. The previous benchmark belonged to Nicholas Pooran, who struck 143 against Australia in the 2014 quarter-final in Dubai. In finals, the highest score until now was Unmukt Chand’s unbeaten 111 against Australia in Townsville in 2012.
For India, the innings now stands as the second-highest individual score in Youth ODIs, behind only Ambati Rayudu’s 177 not out against England U19 in Taunton in 2002. Sooryavanshi already features again on that elite list, with his 171 against UAE U19 in Dubai last December ranking third.
At 14 years and 316 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to score a century at an Under-19 World Cup, surpassing the long-standing record held by Babar Azam, who achieved the feat at 15 years and 92 days in 2010. Remarkably, only Sooryavanshi and Najmul Hossain Shanto have recorded Youth ODI hundreds before turning 15, where age data is available.
The prodigy’s rise has been rapid. Earlier in December, he became the youngest List A centurion at just 14 years and 272 days, reaching the milestone during the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Arunachal Pradesh.
Sooryavanshi reached his hundred in just 55 deliveries, making it the second-fastest century in Under-19 World Cup history. Only Australia’s Will Malajczuk, who scored a 51-ball hundred against Japan earlier in the same tournament, has done it quicker.
Fastest Under-19 World Cup Hundreds
- 51 balls – Will Malajczuk (Australia) vs Japan, Windhoek 2026
- 55 balls – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (India) vs England, Harare 2026
- 63 balls – Qasim Akram (Pakistan) vs Sri Lanka, North Sound 2022
- 65 balls – Ben Mayes (England) vs Scotland, Harare 2026
- 69 balls – Raj Bawa (India) vs Uganda, Tarouba 2022
Scoring 175 from 80 balls, Sooryavanshi struck at a rate of 218.75, the highest strike rate ever recorded in an Under-19 World Cup innings of at least 50 balls. The next best remains Malajczuk’s 185.45 against Japan earlier this month.
He also became the fastest player to reach 150 in an Under-19 World Cup, taking just 71 balls to get there. The previous record was Ben Mayes’ 98-ball effort for England against Scotland at the same venue.
The power-hitting display featured 15 sixes, the most ever in a Youth ODI innings on record, eclipsing Sooryavanshi’s own previous mark of 14 against UAE U19 in Dubai. The earlier World Cup best was held by Australia’s Michael Hill, who hit 13 against Namibia in 2008.
Across formats, the numbers are staggering. Sooryavanshi has now smashed 110 sixes in just 25 Youth ODI innings, exactly double the next highest tally of 55, held by Bangladesh’s Zawad Abrar. His 30 sixes in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup are also the most in the tournament’s history, comfortably beating the previous record of 18 shared by Dewald Brevis and Finn Allen.
Consistency has matched the explosiveness. Sooryavanshi recorded four scores of fifty or more in the tournament, all at strike rates above 100 — the first player to achieve this feat in an Under-19 World Cup.
His tally of 439 runs in the competition ranks as the fifth-highest aggregate in a single Under-19 World Cup edition. Only Dewald Brevis (506 in 2022), Shikhar Dhawan (505 in 2004), Brett Williams (471 in 1988) and Ben Mayes (444 in 2026) sit above him, with Afghanistan’s Faisal Shinozada just behind on 435.
India’s dominance was reflected in the team total as well. Their 411 for 9 is the first 350-plus score ever recorded in an Under-19 World Cup knockout match. India previously held the record with 349 for 6 against Namibia in the 2016 quarter-final, powered by Rishabh Pant’s 111. It also surpasses the previous highest total in a final — Australia’s 253 for 7 against India in 2024.
Overall, this was India’s third 400-plus total in Under-19 World Cup history, a mark no other team has managed more than once.
