Sooryavanshi and Kundu Shine as India U19 vs Bangladesh U19 Ends in DLS Win
India’s future cricket stars launched their ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup 2026 campaign with a gritty performance, securing an 18-run victory over Bangladesh via the DLS method on Saturday. In a match interrupted by rain and wet ground conditions at the Queens Sports Club, the Indian colts displayed remarkable composure to defend a revised target.
Batting Anchors: Sooryavanshi and Kundu
Bangladesh elected to field first, a decision that seemed to pay off early as India lost skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi cheaply. However, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi counter-attacked with a blistering 72 off just 67 balls, smashing six boundaries and three sixes. His aggressive knock stabilized the innings and shifted pressure back onto the bowlers.
Following Sooryavanshi’s dismissal, wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu anchored the middle order. Kundu played a mature innings of 80 runs from 112 balls, ensuring the team batted deep despite regular wickets falling at the other end. Valuable contributions from Kanishk Chouhan helped push the total to a competitive 238 all out in 48.4 overs.
Rain Drama and the DLS Chase
Rain interruptions forced the match into a shortened format. Under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Bangladesh was set a revised target of 165 runs to win from 29 overs.
The chase began poorly for the "Tiger Cubs," losing opener Zawad Abrar early. While Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim fought valiantly with a half-century (51 off 72 balls) and Rifat Beg added 37, the mounting required run rate proved too difficult to handle.
Vihaan Malhotra’s Magical Spell
The turning point of the second innings was the introduction of Vihaan Malhotra. The young spinner tore through the Bangladesh middle and lower order, claiming a match-winning 4 wickets for just 14 runs. His disciplined bowling choked the run flow and picked up crucial wickets at regular intervals.
Bangladesh ultimately crumbled under pressure, collapsing for 146 runs in 28.3 overs. This victory earns India two crucial points in Group B, setting a positive tone for the rest of the tournament.
