Punjab Newsline,Sports :
Strong show by Indian bowlers against USA, match halted due to rain
The first match of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 between India and the United States of America was played on Thursday at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. India won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision proved effective as the Indian bowlers delivered an impressive performance, dismissing the USA team for 107 runs in 35.2 overs and setting a target of 108 runs for the Indian side.
The USA got off to a very poor start and lost wickets at regular intervals. By the time the scoreboard reached 39 runs, the team had already lost five wickets. Amarinder Gill managed to score just 1 run, while Sahil Garg contributed 16 runs. Utkarsh Srivastava was dismissed for a duck. Arjun Mahesh scored 16 runs, and Amogh Arepalli could add only 3 runs before getting out.
Middle-order batter Nitish Sudini showed some resistance and emerged as the top scorer for the USA with 36 runs. His innings helped the team cross the 100-run mark, but the American batting lineup failed to build any strong partnerships against disciplined Indian bowling.
Henil Patel was the standout performer with the ball for India. He picked up five wickets and played a key role in dismantling the USA batting order. Apart from him, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Deepesh Devendran, RS Ambrish and Khilan Patel chipped in with one wicket each, keeping constant pressure on the opposition.
Chasing a modest target of 108 runs, India suffered an early setback. Opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi was dismissed for just 2 runs. He was bowled by USA pacer Ritvik Appidi, giving the American team a brief moment of success. After the early wicket, the Indian batters played cautiously and steadily. At the end of 4 overs, India were 21 for 1. Captain Ayush Mhatre was unbeaten on 15 runs, while Vedant Trivedi was at the crease with 2 runs.
However, rain interrupted the proceedings, forcing officials to halt the match temporarily. Further play will resume once conditions improve.
India and USA are placed in Group B along with Bangladesh and New Zealand. Led by Ayush Mhatre, the Indian Under-19 squad features promising young talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Vihan Malhotra. India entered the Under-19 World Cup after a confident 3-0 clean sweep against South Africa in a bilateral series. However, the team had suffered a defeat against England in the warm-up match ahead of the tournament.