Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's blistering 175 off 80 balls in the U19 World Cup final stuns all

Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi dazzled in the U19 World Cup final with a blistering 175 off 80 balls, earning Player of the Tournament honours. However, a BCCI rule restricting players to one U19 World Cup appearance ends his youth tournament journey.

Indian cricket’s newest teenage sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, delivered a performance for the ages in the 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup final, yet his journey in the tournament has already reached its end. Despite being just 14 years old, the prodigy will never feature in another U19 World Cup due to a long-standing BCCI eligibility rule.

Sooryavanshi lit up the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe with a breathtaking innings against England in the summit clash. Opening the batting, the young Bihar cricketer unleashed an extraordinary assault, smashing 175 runs off just 80 deliveries. His innings was a blend of fearless stroke play and remarkable composure, as he struck 15 fours and 15 towering sixes, dismantling the English bowling attack with ease.

His explosive knock laid the foundation for India’s massive first-innings total of 411 runs. Skipper Ayush Mhatre contributed a fluent 53, while Abhigyan Kundu added 40 valuable runs. Kanishk Chouhan applied the finishing touches with an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls. For England, James Minto emerged as the most successful bowler, claiming three wickets, but the damage had already been done.

Chasing a daunting target, England fought hard but fell short, handing India a 100-run victory and their sixth U19 World Cup title. Caleb Falconer stood tall for the Young Lions with a counter-attacking 115 off 67 balls, while Ben Dawkins scored 66 and captain Thomas Rew made 31. However, consistent breakthroughs from India, including a three-wicket haul by RS Ambrish, ensured England never truly threatened the target.

Sooryavanshi’s heroics did not go unnoticed. He was named Player of the Match in the final and also walked away with the Player of the Tournament award. Across seven innings, he amassed 439 runs at a stunning strike rate of 169.49, marking one of the most dominant individual campaigns in U19 World Cup history.

However, his fairytale youth World Cup journey has come to a premature close. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) implemented a rule in 2016 stating that a player can represent India at the Under-19 level only once, even if they remain age-eligible for future editions. The regulation was introduced to address concerns about overage players and to ensure broader opportunities for emerging talent.

As a result, Sooryavanshi will not be eligible to compete in the 2028 U19 World Cup, despite still being well within the age bracket. Only five Indian cricketers — Ravindra Jadeja, Vijay Zol, Avesh Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Ricky Bhui — have represented India in the tournament twice, all before the rule change.

While his U19 chapter ends here, Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking performance suggests a bright future awaits him at higher levels of the game.