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Vihaan Malhotra struck a century during India vs Zimbabwe U19 World Cup match. (PHOTO: ICC)
Vihaan Malhotra had entered the Super Six stage of the 2026 Under-19 World Cup still searching for a defining innings, his returns of 18, 7 and 17 not out in the first three matches offering only fleeting promise. On Tuesday against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, with India wobbling at 101/3, the left-hander finally delivered a knock of substance and consequence, crafting an unbeaten 109 off 107 balls to set up India’s emphatic 204-run victory.
Walking out to bat in the 11th over, Malhotra was confronted with a situation that demanded composure more than flair. Rather than forcing the pace, he focused on strike rotation, trusting the dimensions of the ground and the eventual fatigue of the bowlers. Boundaries were earned rather than hunted, as he absorbed pressure and ensured the scoreboard kept ticking even when Zimbabwe tightened the screws through the middle overs.
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Malhotra found an able ally in wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu, who complemented him superbly during the rebuild. Confident against spin, Kundu used both the fine sweep and the slog sweep to good effect, particularly targeting captain Simbarashe Mudzengerere. Together, the pair mixed caution with timely aggression, bringing up India’s 200 in the 29th over and firmly swinging the momentum their way.
Kundu reached his half-century with a pull shot for four off Webster Madhidhi in the 31st over, off just 48 balls, while Malhotra followed soon after, bringing up his fifty with a boundary off a full toss from Leeroy Chiwaula. The 113-run stand for the fifth wicket was finally broken when Kundu fell for 61 to Mudzengerere, but by then the damage had been done.
The dismissal did not faze Malhotra, who expertly marshalled the lower order, farming the strike and picking his moments to attack. He brought up his maiden World Cup century in the penultimate over, ensuring India finished with a daunting 352/8.
Highlights | India vs Zimbabwe Under-19 World Cup 2026 Super 6 Match – Bulawayo
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Chasing 353 runs, Zimbabwe were on the back foot from the second ball, with RS Ambrish removing Nathaniel Hlabangana lbw for a duck. Henil Patel soon joined in, dismissing Dhruv Patel with an away-swinger to leave the hosts 15/2. The new-ball pair were relentless in their lines and lengths, denying Zimbabwe any chance to settle. Chiwaula and Kian Blignaut offered brief resistance with a 69-run stand, but it came at a crawl, consuming 109 balls and allowing the required rate to spiral. Khilan Patel broke the partnership in the 27th over, and Zimbabwe never recovered.
Chiwaula’s 62 delayed the inevitable, but once he fell to debutant Udhav Mohan, the innings unraveled. Zimbabwe collapsed from 142/4 to 148 all out, losing their last six wickets for six runs. Captain Ayush Mhatre also chipped in with 3/14 in four overs.
Brief Scores: India 352/8 in 50 overs (Malhotra 109*, Kundu 61) beat Zimbabwe 148 all out in 37.4 overs (Chiwaula 62; Mohan 3/20, Mhatre 3/14) by 204 runs.
Based in Mumbai, Shankar Narayan has over five years of experience and his reporting has ranged from the Ranji Trophy to ICC World Cups, and he writes extensively on women’s cricket. ... Read More
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