Vihaan’s Four-For Propels India to Thrilling Victory Over Bangladesh in U19 World Cup 2026

Vihaan Malhotra’s impressive four-wicket haul led India to their second consecutive victory at the ICC U-19 World Cup 2026, defeating Bangladesh by 18 runs (DLS method) at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.

After choosing to bowl first, Bangladesh quickly disrupted India’s batting lineup. Al Fahad’s excellent performance, taking five for 38, saw India struggle early at 53 for three. India’s captain, Ayush Mhatre, continued his poor run of form, dismissed for just six runs.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhigyan Kundu then stabilized the innings on a challenging pitch. Suryavanshi, known for his aggressive batting, reached his half-century in just 30 balls, but his pace slowed before he was out for 72 off 67 deliveries. Kundu faced difficulties in finding his rhythm but fought hard to score 80 runs from 112 balls. Kanishk Chouhan contributed with some well-timed shots around a rain delay which shortened the game to 49 overs. However, his departure led to a slowdown in the lower order, and India was bowled out for 239 with two balls to spare.

In Bangladesh’s chase, Deepesh Devendran made an immediate impact by dismissing Zawad Abrar in the first over. Despite this early setback, Bangladesh’s Rifat Beg and skipper Azizul Hakim played positively, leaving them in a strong position at 90 for two from 17.2 overs before rain interrupted again.

The lengthy rain delay reduced the innings to 29 overs, with Bangladesh needing 75 runs from 70 balls. The pressure of a steeper chase led Bangladesh to take more risks, which played into Malhotra’s hands. He capitalized on their aggression with precise stump-to-stump bowling that enticed batters into mistakes.

Though Hakim fought hard to reach his fifty, his dismissal by Khilan Patel quashed any remaining hopes for Bangladesh’s victory.

India will play their next match against New Zealand at the same venue on Saturday, January 24. Bangladesh will also face New Zealand on Tuesday, January 20.

Published on Jan 17, 2026