U19 World Cup: Malhotra ton downs Zimbabwe; Pakistan quicks wreck New Zealand

Vihaan Malhotra's unbeaten century and fifties from Abhigyan Kundu and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi led India to a comprehensive win over Zimbabwe in their first match of the Super Sixes stage of the 2026 Under-19 World Cup in Bulawayo. India set Zimbabwe a target of 353 and skittled them out for 148 with 12.2 overs to spare.

India quicks RS Ambrish and Udhav Mohan shared five wickets between them, while captain Ayush Mhatre picked up three late wickets as Zimbabwe lost their last six for as many runs.

India made their intent clear from the start, with openers Sooryavanshi and Aaron George adding 44 runs in the first four overs before George miscued Panashe Mazai to mid-on. Sooryavanshi then took the onus of adding quick runs as he and Mhatre added 56 runs off 38 balls.

Sooryavanshi reached his half-century off 24 balls, levelling with Mhatre for the joint-second fastest fifty of the tournament.

But left-arm medium-pacer Tatenda Chimugoro removed both set batters in the space of three balls to give Zimbabwe some respite.

Malhotra and Vedant Trivedi added 29 runs for the fourth wicket as India's run rate dropped a touch. Chimugoro then had his third as he had Trivedi edging behind.

But the in-form Kundu joined Malhotra at the crease, and the two took the game away from Zimbabwe. They added 113 off 115 deliveries as Malhotra crossed fifty for the first time in the competition and Kundu for the second game in a row. Kundu hit five fours and a six in his 62-ball 61 before picking out extra cover with an attempted inside-out drive.

Malhotra then found support in Ambrish and Khilan Patel to ensure India didn't lose steam. Ambrish hung around in a 52-run stand, and after he fell, Khilan and Malhotra put the pedal to the metal, blazing a 47-run partnership off just 21 balls.

Malhotra brought up his century in the penultimate over with a hint of fortune, an inside edge fetching him four as he looked to drive through the covers. He followed up with another boundary, before Khilan took India past 350 with back-to-back sixes in the final over to finish on 30 off 12.

Zimbabwe's chase got off to a poor start, with Ambrish trapping Nathaniel Hlabangana lbw second ball. His opening partner Dhruv Patel then edged Henil Patel behind in the fourth over and Ambrish had his second in the ninth.

Kian Blignaut and Leeroy Chiwaula then put on a stubborn partnership, even as their slow tempo meant a Zimbabwe win was all but out of the equation.

The two added 69 off 109 with Blignaut hitting four boundaries before being knocked over by Khilan.

The industrious Chiwaula went on to reach a half-century in the 29th over, while Chimugoro switched gears against India's spinners, hitting a couple of sixes off Khilan and Kanishk Chouhan.

But medium-pacer Udhav Mohan, playing his first game of the competition, tossed one short and wide, and Chiwaula lost his balance trying to reach out and ended up slicing it to mid-off.

Michael Blignaut could not replicate his brother's show of resistance, as Mhatre got one to spin in through his defence next over.

In Mhatre's next over, he trapped Mudzengerere in front and had Chuugoro holing out at long-on to all but end the contest. Mohan wrapped up the contest next over with the final two wickets.

Pakistan seamers Ali Raza and Abdul Subhan shared seven wickets between them and climbed up the tournament wicket-takers' chart by dismissing New Zealand for only 110 in Harare.

They wrapped up the win with 32.5 overs to spare on the back of opener Sameer Minhas' 76 not out, his second unbeaten fifty in as many games. Pakistan's net run-rate boosting win keeps Group 2 of the Super Sixes alive, ahead of their next game - the high-profile fixture against India.

With the ball, it took Pakistan only 13.3 overs to leave New Zealand dangling at 67 for 7. Marco William Alpe was the first to go, lbw to Raza in the third over. Tom Jones (10) and Hugo Bogue (39) put on a partnership of 48 then, but left-arm seamer Mohammad Sayyam broke the stand by dismissing Jones. Four balls later, Subhan picked off Bogue and New Zealand slid.

New Zealand's Nos. 5 to 8 could add only eight runs between them as Brandon Matzopoulos and Jaskaran Sandhu fell for ducks. The 42 runs added by New Zealand's last four batters took them up to 110, bowled out after 28.3 overs.

Despite Pakistan losing opener Hamza Zahoor early in the chase, his partner Minhas continued his strong form by attacking New Zealand. Usman Khan added only 15 runs in his 67-run partnership with Minhas, who struck ten fours and two sixes. No. 4 Farhan Yousaf (11*) and Minhas finished the game off with two sixes off the last two balls of the game, with 197 deliveries still in hand.