U-19 World Cup: Vihaan Malhotra, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shine as India Crush Zimbabwe
In the Super Six stage of the U-19 World Cup, India displayed an impressive performance against Zimbabwe, winning by 204 runs. This match took place on a Tuesday, reflecting India’s strong momentum after a successful group stage.
Vihaan Malhotra Leads the Charge
Vihaan Malhotra was the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 109 runs off 107 balls. His innings showcased exceptional patience and shot selection. Abhigyan Kundu also made a significant impact with his fluent 61 runs from 62 balls, further solidifying India’s batting strength.
Dominant Batting Display
Batting first, India posted an imposing total of 352 for 8, maintaining their aggressive style learned from previous matches against the USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got India off to a fast start, scoring 52 runs off just 30 balls. This allowed India to reach 100 runs in merely 11 overs.
- Vihaan Malhotra: 109* runs from 107 balls
- Abhigyan Kundu: 61 runs from 62 balls
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 52 runs from 30 balls
Despite losing two wickets quickly in the 11th over, India quickly recovered. Malhotra and Kundu formed a crucial partnership, accumulating 113 runs for the fifth wicket and pushing India’s score from 130 to 243 by the 36th over. Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggled, particularly Nigel Mazai, who conceded 86 runs in his eight overs.
Zimbabwe’s Struggles with the Bat
In the chasing innings, Zimbabwe failed to build momentum against India’s bowlers. They found themselves in trouble early, slipping to 24 for 3 within nine overs. The Indian pace attack, led by RS Ambrish and Henil Patel, was relentless.
Bowling Performance
India’s combination of pace and spin proved effective in dismantling the Zimbabwean batting line-up. Eventually, Udhav Mohan and skipper Ayush Mhatre contributed to the rout, resulting in Zimbabwe being bowled out for 148 runs in just 37.4 overs.
- Zimbabwe’s final score: 148 all out in 37.4 overs
With this victory, India secured six points and positioned themselves atop Group 2 of the Super Six. This commanding win signals their strong intent as they advance further in the tournament.
