ICC U19 World Cup 2026: Star player from Dhoni’s CSK smashes 24-ball fifty in India win over New Zealand
New Delhi: Team India U-19 Skipper Ayush Mhatre’s quickfire 53 off 27 balls showcased another dominant performance by India as they secured a convincing seven-wicket victory over New Zealand via the DLS method in the U-19 World Cup on Saturday.
The all-round Indian side comfortably chased the revised 37-over target of 130, reaching 130 for three in just 13.3 overs, marking their third consecutive win and cementing their position atop Group B.
RS Ambrish (8-1-29-4) and Henil Patel (7.2-1-23-3) spearheaded India’s bowling effort after they opted to field first in the rain-shortened match.
New Zealand started on shaky note, slumping to 69 for 7 as Indian bowlers struck at regular interval, and were eventually all out for 135 in 36.2 overs. Snehith Reddy (10) was the only top-five batter to reach double digits, and despite some resistance from the lower order, the Kiwis never posted a competitive total.
Jacob Cotter (23), Callum Samson (37), and Selwin Sanjay (28) contributed crucial runs for New Zealand, but none could trouble the Indian bowlers, with Khilan Patel, Mohamed Enaan, and Kanish Chouhan each claiming a wicket.
In reply, India faced an early setback as Aaron George was dismissed at 7, but Vaibhav Suryavanshi (40 off 23 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and skipper Ayush Mhatre anchored the innings with a 76-run partnership for the second wicket. Both batted at strike rates above 150, dominating the New Zealand attack, which never had enough firepower to defend their total.
Suryavanshi, however, fell short of his personal milestone, getting caught by Mason Clarke off Jaskaran Sandhu. Skipper Mhatre went on to score a brilliant 53 off 27 balls, which featured two fours and six sixes, before being dismissed by Selwin Sanjay, caught by Flynn Morey.
Vihaan Malhotra (17 not out) and Vedant Trivedi (13 not out) then guided India to victory, crossing the finish line midway through the 14th over.
“There was a simple plan because the ball was coming nicely on to the bat. There was nothing planned (on the weather), just reacted to the ball and there was a simple plan. They were going with bouncers and I was ready for that,” Mhatre told the broadcaster after the match.
“The boys are really confident and the coaches as well so I am very happy with the players. Boys showed the character and really good attitude. It wasn’t easy for us as well due to the weather. The boys are mature enough to adapt to conditions (on weather interruptions) and they just backed their basics,” he added.