Vihaan Malhotra shines as India crush Zimbabwe by 204 runs in U

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Vihaan Malhotra shines as India crush Zimbabwe by 204 runs in U-19 World Cup

Harare, Jan 28 (UNI) India continued their dominant run at the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, registering a fourth consecutive win with a commanding 204-run victory over hosts Zimbabwe to maintain their unbeaten record in the tournament.

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, India’s emphatic triumph also marked their first full 50-over outing of the competition, after earlier wins against the USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand were affected by the DLS method.

Batting first, India posted a formidable 352 for 8, the fourth-highest total of the ongoing World Cup, which proved far beyond Zimbabwe’s reach.

Vihaan Malhotra starred with the bat, earning Player of the Match honours for his unbeaten 109 off 107 deliveries, which included seven fours. Malhotra walked in during the 11th over and anchored the innings through to the end.

Captain Ayush Mhatre praised Malhotra’s contribution, highlighting the batter’s confidence and consistency. “Vihaan has been doing really well. He was in good form even before the World Cup, and we’re confident in his ability to do the job for the team,” Mhatre said after the match.

India’s bowlers then delivered a clinical performance to wrap up the contest quickly. Mhatre led from the front with figures of 3 for 14 from four overs, while Udhav Mohan claimed 3 for 20 and R.S. Ambrish chipped in with 2 for 19 to dismantle the Zimbabwe batting line-up.

“This match was really nice for us. The boys did really well, and we’ll try to carry this momentum forward,” Mhatre added.

With four wins from four matches, India are on the brink of securing a semifinal berth, subject to the outcome of England’s fixture against New Zealand. However, the focus now shifts to a high-stakes clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in their next outing.

“The boys are really excited. We’ll just play our game and not worry too much about the opposition,” Mhatre said, as India look to maintain their strong form heading into the business end of the tournament.

UNI VAN AAB

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