U19 World Cup: Young India Register Dominant Victory Over USA

Defending champions India began their Under-19 World Cup 2026 campaign with a commanding six-wicket victory over the USA in a Group A match held at the Queens Sports Club on Thursday. After winning the toss and opting to field, India put the USA under pressure from the very first over. Henil Patel produced a sensational bowling spell, picking up five wickets for just 16 runs to dismantle the American batting lineup and bowl them out for 107 in 35.2 overs. Nitish Sudini top-scored for the USA with 36 runs, offering brief resistance.

India’s chase faced a brief hiccup due to rain, which reduced the match to 37 overs and revised the target to 96 runs under the DLS method. Despite losing early wickets and slipping to 70 for 4, wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu held his nerve and played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 42, finishing the game in style with a six off the final ball. The match also witnessed history as 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest cricketer ever to feature in an Under-19 World Cup, surpassing the previous world record.