Young middle-order batter Vihaan Malhotra displayed admirable composure to rediscover his rhythm with a superb unbeaten century, while Abhigyan Kundu continued his rich vein of form as India thrashed Zimbabwe by 204 runs in their opening Super Six match of the ICC U-19 World Cup on Tuesday.
Riding on a ruthless batting performance, India posted a mammoth 352 for 8 and then bowled Zimbabwe out for 148 in 37.4 overs, extending their flawless run in the tournament.
India Continue Winning Momentum in Super Six
After an unbeaten group-stage campaign — where they registered emphatic wins over the USA, Bangladesh and New Zealand — India carried forward their aggressive brand of cricket into the Super Six stage.
Malhotra anchored the innings with a mature 109 not out off 107 balls, striking seven boundaries, while wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu played a fluent knock of 61 off 62 balls, including five fours and a six. The duo exposed Zimbabwe’s bowling with alarming ease through a crucial middle-overs partnership.
Malhotra, who was bought by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for ₹30 lakh at the IPL 2026 auction, underlined his growing stature with a knock that blended patience with authority.
Explosive Start Led by Vaibhav Suryavanshi
India raced out of the blocks with batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi leading the charge. The opener smashed 52 off just 30 balls, peppering the boundary with four fours and four sixes as India brought up their first 100 runs in just 62 deliveries.
However, India hit a brief speed bump in the 11th over, losing skipper Ayush Mhatre (21) and Suryavanshi in quick succession to slip to 101 for 3. The setback proved insignificant as Malhotra and Kundu steadied the innings with calm assurance.
Malhotra-Kundu Partnership Breaks Zimbabwe’s Resistance
Left-handers Malhotra and Kundu stitched together a vital 113-run partnership for the fifth wicket, lifting India from 130 for 4 to 243 for 5 by the 36th over. Malhotra reached his century in 104 balls, capping a vital return to form that strengthens India’s middle order — an area that had looked vulnerable during the group stage.
Zimbabwe’s persistence with pacer Panashe Mazai backfired badly, as he leaked 86 runs from eight overs, allowing India to score freely. Despite using eight bowlers, Zimbabwe failed to stem the flow of runs.
Kundu’s knock marked his second half-century in three innings, further underlining his consistency. Earlier in the tournament, he had scored 80 against Bangladesh, remained unbeaten on 42 versus the USA, and was not required to bat against New Zealand.
Late Flourish Takes India Past 350
Malhotra added valuable late runs with RS Ambrish (21) in a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket before forging another 47-run partnership with tailender Khilan Patel (30), propelling India beyond the 350-run mark.
Indian Bowlers Seal One-Sided Contest
India’s bowlers then delivered a clinical performance to crush any hopes of a chase. Pacers RS Ambrish (2/19) and Henil Patel (1/25) bowled nine overs in tandem, reducing Zimbabwe to 24 for 3 inside the powerplay.
Former Zimbabwe all-rounder Andy Blignaut’s son Kian Blignaut (37 off 73 balls) and Leeroy Chiwaula (62 off 77 balls) showed resistance, but their inability to accelerate meant Zimbabwe reached 100 only in the 28th over, with the required run rate already out of reach.
Skipper Ayush Mhatre (3/14) ran through the lower order with his part-time off-spin, while left-arm seamer Udhav Mohan (3/20) provided excellent support to complete the rout.
Points Table Update
India now sit top of Group 2 in the Super Six stage with six points. They carried forward four points from the group stage after victories over New Zealand and Bangladesh, with their win against the USA not counting as the latter failed to qualify.
Brief Scores
India 352/8 in 50 overs
(Vaibhav Suryavanshi 52, Vihaan Malhotra 109* , Abhigyan Kundu 61; Panashe Mazai 2/86, Tatenda Chimugoro 3/49, Simbarashe Mudzengerere 2/51)
Zimbabwe 148 all out in 37.4 overs
(Kian Blignaut 37, Leeroy Chiwaula 62; RS Ambrish 2/19, Henil Patel 1/25, Udhav Mohan 3/20, Ayush Mhatre 3/14)
India won by 204 runs