India opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a remarkable performance in the final of the ICC Men's U19 World Cup 2026 against England in Harare on Friday. The young batter played fearlessly and scored a memorable century in the most important match of his youth career. He reached the milestone in just 55 balls and gave India a strong start.

Second-Fastest Century in Tournament History

Sooryavanshi’s hundred became the second-fastest in the history of the U19 World Cup. Only Australia’s Will Malajczuk scored a quicker one, taking 51 balls against Japan. The Indian star also created another record by becoming the youngest centurion in the history of the tournament.

Record-Breaking Sixes and Runs

The teenage batter continued to rewrite records during the competition. He broke the record for most sixes in U19 World Cup history. He went past South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, who had hit 18 sixes in 2024. At the time of writing, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got caught behind off Manny Lumsden’s third ball of the 26th over. He scored 175 in just 80 balls. India were at 253/3 in 26 overs. Sooryavanshi smashed 15 boundaries and 15 sixes in the final and taken his total to 30 sixes in the tournament.

He also moved past Afghanistan’s Faisal Shinozada’s tally of 435 runs. This made him the highest run-scorer of the 2026 edition.

Special Place in U19 World Cup Finals History

Sooryavanshi became only the sixth player to score a century in an ICC U19 World Cup final. He is also the second Indian to achieve this milestone. Unmukt Chand, Manjot Kalra, Brett Williams, Jarrad Burke and Stephen Peters are the other batters who have scored a hundred in a junior ODI World Cup final.

A Rising Star with Early Achievements

The 14-year-old first came into the spotlight in 2024. He secured a record IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals at the mega auction. He made an instant impact by hitting a six off the first ball of his IPL career last season.

Later, he created another record by smashing a 35-ball century. It became the fastest century by an Indian in IPL history. He also became the youngest player ever to score a T20 hundred.

India Aim for Record Sixth Title

India remain the most successful team in U19 World Cup history with five titles. The Ayush Mhatre-led side reached the final after winning every match in the tournament. They now aim to lift a record-extending sixth trophy.