"Future of Indian cricket is bright": Madan Lal on India's U19 World Cup triumph

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 7 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal has hailed India's U19 World Cup triumph, saying the victory reflects a bright future for Indian cricket.
Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Madan Lal said, "First of all, I want to congratulate the Under-19 Indian cricket team. They played excellent cricket throughout the tournament. Today, Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 175 runs off 80 balls. He played a fantastic innings, and I think the future of Indian cricket is very bright. Because all the youngsters who played in this World Cup have performed exceptionally well. A score of 411 in an Under-19 match is a huge score. I'm surprised that even in 50-over matches, so many runs are being scored now."
India U19 captured their sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title on Friday, overpowering England U19 by 100 runs in a thrilling final at Harare Sports Club. The win also makes India the concurrent holders of five major ICC titles: Men's T20 World Cup (2024), ICC Champions Trophy (2025), Women's ODI World Cup (2025), Women's U19 World Cup (2025), and now the Men's U19 World Cup (2026).
After opting to bat first, India posted a record-breaking 411/9. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's scintillating 175 off 80 balls, laced with 15 fours and 15 sixes, set the tone, while captain Ayush Mhatre added 53 off 51 balls, and Abhigyan Kundu chipped in with 40 from 31 deliveries. England U19 showed resilience, with Caleb Falconer scoring a valiant 115 off 67 balls, including nine fours and seven sixes, but they fell short, losing momentum from 142/2 to 177/7.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma echoed the same emotions and said, "This is a great achievement. It's a tremendous victory, and I would like to congratulate the whole Indian team, the support staff, the selectors and especially BCCI, for the way they have promoted our youngsters. I think the credit must be given to all of them, and it is a big victory and a very great moment for Indian cricket."
The 31 sixes hit by India in the final set a new record for any Youth ODI, surpassing the previous mark of 23. India's dominant total, coupled with disciplined bowling, underscores the depth of talent emerging from the BCCI Academy, further cementing their reputation as a powerhouse in junior cricket.
This victory extends India's record of Under-19 World Cup wins to 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022, and now 2026, while England remain without a second title since their sole triumph in 1998. The triumph also completes a rare double, with India holding both the Men's and Women's Under-19 World Cup titles simultaneously, highlighting the country's growing dominance across formats and age groups.
Brief Scores: India: 411/9 (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 175, Ayush Mhatre 53, James Minto 3/63) beat England: 311 (Caleb Falconer 115, Ben Dawkins 66, RS Ambrish 3/56). (ANI)