India and West Indies made winning starts to their ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 campaigns, registering convincing victories over the USA and Tanzania, respectively, while the match between Zimbabwe and Scotland was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Harare.
Five-time champions India secured a six-wicket DLS win over the United States of America in a rain-affected Group A encounter, thanks to a dominant bowling performance led by Henil Patel and a composed chase anchored by Abhigyan Kundu.
After winning the toss, India opted to bowl first, a decision that paid immediate dividends.
Right-arm pacer Henil Patel produced a fiery opening spell, dismantling the USA top order with extra bounce and movement. He finished with a five-wicket haul, the first of the tournament, as the USA were bowled out for just 107.
Henil struck early to remove opener Amrinder Gill, before picking up key wickets in successive spells.
Support came from Deepesh Devendran, RS Ambarish, Khilan Patel, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who all chipped in to ensure the USA never gained momentum.
A brief resistance from Arjun Mahesh and Nitish Sudini was broken as India tightened the screws through disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
Rain then intervened during India’s chase, reducing the contest to 37 overs and revising the target to 96. However, India suffered an early wobble as they slipped to 25 for three, losing captain Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Vedant Trivedi in quick succession.
Abhigyan Kundu slammed an unbeaten knock to steady the innings with calm authority, showing maturity beyond his years.
Partnering with Vihaan Malhotra, Kundu stitched a crucial 45-run stand that swung the momentum firmly back in India’s favour.
Malhotra fell nearing the finish line, but Kundu remained unbeaten to guide India home and put their first points on the board.
India will next face Bangladesh in their second Group A fixture, while the USA is set to take on New Zealand.
In the other completed match of the day, West Indies chased down Tanzania’s modest total of 122 with ease.
After a disciplined bowling effort restricted Tanzania, Tanez Francis starred with the bat, scoring a fluent half-century to ensure a comfortable victory for the Windies.
With early wins for India and the West Indies, the Under-19 World Cup 2026 has begun with strong statements from two traditional powerhouses.
