India's U-19 World Cup Finals from 2000 to 2024: Triumphs, challenges, and records

The ICC U-19 World Cup 2024 final between Australia and India took place on Sunday, February 11 at Willowmoore Park in Benoni. The Men in Blue competed in their fifth straight competition final and their ninth overall. The contest concluded in Australia's favour as India failed to hold their nerves on the huge day.

India had won numerous heart-stopping matches and were undefeated before the ICC U-19 World Cup 2024 final. They won all three of their games with huge margins of victory, topping Group A. The Men in Blue beat Bangladesh by 84 runs to start their tour, then at Bloemfontein, they went on to thrash both Ireland and the United States by identical scores of 201 runs.

In the Super Six round, India maintained their unbeaten streak as well. In the first semifinal, South Africa put up a fight, but the reigning champions prevailed by two wickets to advance to yet another final. 

Here is a look at India's performance in the finals of the Under-19 World Cup so far:

2000

India made it to the event's summit clash for the first time. In Colombo, India defeated Sri Lanka in a one-sided game thanks to the captaincy of Muhammad Kaif. India was invited to bowl first and after dismissing Sri Lanka for 178, they took 6 wickets to reduce the total to 40.4 overs. That Indian team also included Yuvraj Singh who went on ahead to be one of India’s biggest match-winners.

2006 

This is India's second appearance in the Under-19 World Cup final, however, unlike the previous time, they lost to their arch-rivals, Pakistan, by a score of 38 runs in Colombo. The Indian team, which included players like Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, and Piyush Chawla, was captained by Ravikant Shukla. Pakistan chose to bat first and finished with 109 all out before bowling India out for 71.

2008

In the 2008 U-19 World Cup final in Kuala Lumpur, India defeated South Africa by 12 runs (using the DLS technique) to record their second victory. Present-day batting sensation Virat Kohli led this team, which also included Manish Pandey and Jadeja.

After winning the toss, the Proteas elected to bowl first and did a fantastic job limiting India to 159, with Tanmay Srivastava (46), the only batter to register a meaningful score. The amended goal of 116 in 25 overs was given to South Africa, but India's bowlers made a great effort to hold the opposition to 103/8 and win the match. 

2012

India made history by winning the 2012 Under-19 World Cup, which was hosted in Australia. In the final, the Indian team led by Unmukt Chand defeated Australia by a margin of six wickets. India chose to bowl first and held Australia to 225 for 8. With six wickets remaining, the team managed to chase down the goal in 47.4 overs, led by captain Unmukt Chand's 111 not out. Chand was named player of the match for his incredible century.

2016

From this edition, India has consecutively managed to make it to the final of the Under-19 World Cup so far. Despite reaching the finals, India faced disappointment in the ultimate showdown. Against a formidable West Indies team, India suffered a five-wicket defeat in the final. Chasing a target of 146, the Caribbean side clinched victory with just three balls to spare, leaving India to ponder over what could have been.

2018

India recovered from their earlier loss to win the trophy in the upcoming Under-19 World Cup. India genuinely dominated this Mount Maunganui final over Australia. Australia chose to bat first and reached 216 before Manjot Kalra's century helped India chase it down in 38.5 overs. Prithvi Shaw led the Indian team that included players such as Shivam Mavi and Shubman Gill.

2020

India was stunned by Bangladesh by three wickets in the 2020 U-19 World Cup final in Potchefstroom. Despite being the favorites going into the final, the Priyam Garg-led team did not show up on the big day.

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 88 runs off 121 balls, but the Men in Blue, who were sent into bat by Bangladesh, were restricted to 177 in 47.2 overs. India put up a valiant battle with the ball, but in a thrilling conclusion, Bangladesh emerged victorious with the help of crucial knocks from Parvez Hossain Emon and captain Akbar Ali. The 2020 U-19 World Cup final also included Tilak Varma, Dhruv Jurel, Ravi Bishnoi, and Kartik Tyagi in addition to Jaiswal. 

2022

Raj Bawa's outstanding all-around performance helped India win their sixth Under-19 World Cup in the most recent edition. India defeated England in the summit clash this time to win a record-extending fifth title. In the final, India defeated England with a commanding performance. India's incredible victory, which secured their place as champions once more, was greatly aided by Bawa's outstanding 5/31 ball stats and big 35 off 54 balls bat knock.

2024

Winning the toss, Australia U-19 captain Hugh Weibgen elected to bat first. The Aussie side posted 253 runs on the board and Harjas Singh was the highest run-scorer with a 55-run knock off 64 deliveries. Chasing the target, India U-19 side got bundled out on 174. Opener Adarsh Singh displayed a fighting spirit with his 47-run innings off 77 balls but that wasn’t enough for India to cross the line.

Also Check: U19 World Cup 2024: Complete List of Award-Winners