ICC turns away, BCCI opens the vault; crores announced for U19 champions

Harare (The Uttam Hindu): Indian junior cricket once again dominated the global stage as India lifted the Under-19 World Cup 2026 title on Zimbabwean soil. Led by captain Ayush Mhatre, the Indian team created history by defeating England by a massive margin of 100 runs in the final played in Harare on Friday. With this emphatic win, India became record six-time Under-19 world champions.

Soon after the historic triumph, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a major cash reward for the junior team. Expressing happiness over the outstanding performance, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia declared a cash prize of ₹7.5 crore for the entire team, setting a new benchmark for rewards at the Under-19 level.

ICC offers no prize money, BCCI showers rewards

Under ICC policy, no monetary prize is awarded to Under-19 World Cup winners, as the tournament is considered part of player development. As a result, Team India returned only with medals and the trophy.

However, maintaining its tradition of recognising excellence, the BCCI announced the reward on Saturday, February 7, a day after the title win. This is the highest-ever prize money announced by the BCCI for an Under-19 team. Earlier, the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 winning team was awarded ₹5 crore.

14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi scripts historic win

The standout hero of the final was 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi from Bihar. After missing centuries three times earlier in the tournament, the young prodigy delivered his best performance on the biggest stage.

Vaibhav smashed a breathtaking 175 runs off just 80 balls, hitting 15 fours and 15 towering sixes, dismantling England’s bowling attack. His explosive innings powered India to a massive total of 411 runs.

In reply, England fought back through Caleb Faulkner’s century, but the pressure proved too much as they were bowled out for 311 runs.

For his exceptional performance, Vaibhav was named Player of the Match in the final and also received the Player of the Series award for scoring 439 runs in the tournament.