Indian cricket has once again shown its strength at the Under-19 level. On February 6, the Ayush Mhatre-led Indian team defeated England by a huge margin of 100 runs in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 at the Harare Sports Club and won their sixth title.
India clinches sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title with record-breaking win, Ayush Mhatre joins elite club
With this huge win, India created history as it is the biggest ever win in an ICC Under-19 World Cup final, breaking the previous record (79 runs) held by Australia. Additionally, with this title, India continues its long tradition of producing world-class young leaders.
Ayush Mhatre became the sixth captain for India to win the Under-19 World Cup, joining the distinguished list of Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw and Yash Dhull. India’s record in the Under-19 World Cup in the last few years has been excellent.
Also read: Due to Bhojpuri wave, Vaibhav Suryavanshi tore apart the Punjabi music culture of the Indian team.
Since 2016, India Under-19 have played 38 matches and won 35 of them, while losing only three times. Even those defeats came in the finals of the 2016, 2020 and 2024 editions. His win percentage during this period stood at an incredible 92.1.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s match winning masterclass
The ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final against England was largely decided by an unforgettable and impressive batting performance. Vaibhav Suryavanshi played a record-breaking inning of 175 runs which helped India score a huge score of 411 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs.
And this goal they defended easily. England were all out for 311 runs and the total runs scored by both teams in the match was 722, the highest ever in an ICC Under-19 World Cup final. RS Ambareesh was the best bowler for India Under-19 by taking three wickets.
Mhatre gives full credit for the viral dressing room moment to Vaibhav
After the historic win, a special moment in the Indian dressing room caught everyone’s attention. During the celebrations, Vaibhav went live on Instagram and approached Captain Mhatre to ask him how he felt after becoming the sixth captain to win the Under-19 World Cup.
The young captain folded his hands and replied in a funny manner and gave all the credit to Vaibhav, which made everyone laugh. The clip quickly went viral and won hearts on social media.
Ayush Mhatre- Whatever is because of Vaibhav
Gen Z doesn’t buy diplomatic answers
pic.twitter.com/I5vfI2b5OW– Space Recorder (@1spacerecorder) 7 February 2026
However, in the post-match presentation, the young captain was full of praise for his teammate. “We have no words for Vaibhav’s innings. We know he is a brilliant batsman and he showed in this match what he can do,” Mhatre told reporters.
Also read: Virat Kohli camp is lobbying strongly to include Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the senior Indian team.
Ayush Mhatre recreates moments from Rohit Sharma’s iconic World Cup win
Meanwhile, Ayush Mhatre also recreated the iconic selfie of his idol and former Indian captain Rohit Sharma after the 2024 T20 World Cup final win over South Africa. In his Instagram post, Rohit was seen waking up in bed with the World Cup trophy and his winner’s medal.
This was the biggest hit on social media at that time. Now, Mhatre has done the same as captain, posing with the Under-19 World Cup trophy on his bed. He was also seen posing with the national flag, just like Rohit did after the historic World Cup win in Barbados.
Ayush Mhatre is continuing the legacy of his idol. pic.twitter.com/Yfe51snIBZ
– Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) 7 February 2026
Captain Ayush Mhatre waving the Indian flag. pic.twitter.com/nZ4AnX7lnc
– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) 6 February 2026
Mhatre proud to carry forward India’s World Cup legacy
Mhatre was also proud of carrying forward India’s victorious legacy. He was happy to follow leaders like Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, who led India to World Cup wins in 2024 and 2025, and felt honored to add his name to that success story.
“We just wanted to take the legacy forward. Rohit Sharma won the World Cup and so did Harmanpreet, and now we have won it. There are no words for the support staff, the way they have worked for the last several months,” the youngster said.
Notably, Mhatre himself had a solid tournament win. In seven matches, he scored 214 runs with three half-centuries and also contributed with the ball by taking seven wickets.
