- By Vishal Pushkar
- Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:36 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
U19 ODI World Cup: The swashbuckling 14-year-old batter, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, earned applause from the India captain Ayush Mhatre, who praised his professionalism on display after he smashed a vital 72 off 67 for India, which helped the side defeat Bangladesh in the final over thriller on Saturday. In a rain-truncated encounter in Bulawayo, India held their nerve to secure an 18-run win over Bangladesh.
This win also ensured that India remained at the top of Group B of the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup.
Mhatre also praised batters Abhigyan Kundu and Kanishk Chouhan for their respective contribution which helped India reach 238 in 49 overs. In response, Bangladesh, who were set a target of 165 from 29 overs, got bowled out for 146 off 28.3 overs.
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"(Suryavanshi) showed the maturity that he's got and just batted really brilliantly. He showed patience also; the team needed him to stay there, so he stayed in," said Mhatre as per the ICC website.
"It was initially tough conditions because there was some stickiness in the wicket and the ball was coming a little bit (on the) slower side, back of the length, so there was some difficulty. But the way that (Abhigyan Kundu and Suryavanshi) batted, and (later in) the innings, (Kanishk Chouhan) batted well," he added.
Kundu anchored India's batting innings with 80 off 112, perfectly complementing Vaibhav's more aggressive approach. The pair produced a 62-run stand for the fourth wicket to help lay strong foundations, while Chouhan's 28 off 26 helped with the finishing touches from their 50 overs.
"(Kundu) is batting really well in this tournament, and is in form also, so it's really nice for us that he's batting really brilliantly and scoring some runs for our team," Mhatre continued.
"It really was a terrific victory from our boys; it was really big. We just play our game, we're not thinking much (about that game yet), just (about) playing our cricket," Mhatre concluded.
India can now rest up for the best part of a week, with their next contest scheduled for January 24 against New Zealand at Bulawayo.
Inputs from Agency