In a dominant display of skill and teamwork, India U19 convincingly defeated New Zealand U19 by 7 wickets in their Group B match at the ICC U19 World Cup 2026 in Bulawayo on Saturday. The match, which was reduced to 37 overs per side due to rain, saw India emerge victorious through a combination of disciplined bowling and aggressive batting. With this win, India secured their spot in the Super Six stage as the top team in Group B.
India won the toss and elected to field, a decision that immediately proved fruitful. The Indian bowlers capitalized on the damp conditions, putting New Zealand under pressure from the start. RS Ambrish led the charge with an impressive four-wicket haul, while Henil Patel provided excellent support, claiming three wickets. Kanishk Chouhan also contributed with a wicket. New Zealand struggled to build partnerships and were eventually bowled out for a modest 135 in 36.2 overs. Callum Samson was the top scorer for New Zealand with 37 runs.
Chasing a revised target of 136 runs in 37 overs, India started aggressively. However, they faced an early setback when Mason Clarke dismissed Aaron George for 7. Ayush Mhatre, the Indian captain, then joined Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the duo counter-attacked with a quickfire partnership. Mhatre reached his half-century, scoring 53, while Suryavanshi contributed a valuable 40. Their aggressive approach ensured that India remained ahead of the DLS par score, taking calculated risks to put pressure back on the New Zealand bowlers. Vedant Trivedi and Vihaan Malhotra remained at the crease to guide India to victory, finishing at 12 and 16 respectively. India ultimately reached 130/3 in just 13.3 overs, securing a comfortable seven-wicket win via the DLS method.
RS Ambrish was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance. He stated that he focused on hitting the top of off, and his plan worked effectively. He also praised the team's sharp fielding.
India's captain, Ayush Mhatre, expressed that the plan was to "go big" and play natural game. Tom Jones, the captain of New Zealand Under-19, acknowledged India's strong performance and emphasized the need for his team to learn from the defeat.
With this victory, India has made it three wins in a row and will head into the Super Six stage with high confidence. The Super Six stage will begin on January 25th with doubleheaders, where Australia will face South Africa and the West Indies will go up against Ireland.
