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India Opt to Bat First in U19 World Cup Final vs England, Eye Historic Sixth Title

India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre won the toss and elected to bat first against England in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final in Harare. India is chasing a historic sixth title, while England is aiming for its second championship, its first in 28 years. Both teams are undefeated in the tournament, with India achieving a record run-chase of 311 in the semifinal against Afghanistan. The final features in-form captains, with India's Ayush Mhatre and England's Thomas Rew both coming off centuries in the semifinals.

Key Points: India vs England U19 World Cup 2026 Final: Toss, Preview, Teams

  • India aim for record 6th U19 title
  • England seek first win since 1998
  • Both teams enter final undefeated
  • India chased 311 in epic semifinal
2 min read

India win toss, opt to bat first against England in Under-19 World Cup 2026 final

India U19 captain Ayush Mhatre wins toss, chooses to bat against England in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final in Harare. Live updates and playing XIs.

"India recorded the highest-ever successful run chase in the history of the U19 World Cup - Report"

Harare, February 6

India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre won the toss and opted to bat first against England Under-19 in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final on Friday at the Harare Sports Club, Harare.

Ayush Mhatre and his team are aiming for a sixth Under-19 World Cup title, having last won the tournament in 2022. Notably, this is India's 10th appearance in the Under-19 World Cup finals.

Thomas Rew's England side, meanwhile, are seeking their second Under-19 World Cup triumph, with their only previous victory dating back 28 years to 1998. For England, this is their third U19 World Cup final appearance

Both India and England have been undefeated in the tournament so far. While India defeated Asian counterparts Afghanistan by seven wickets in the semifinal, England outdid arch-rivals and the second-most successful team at the tournament-Australia-by 27 runs in the semis.

India recorded the highest-ever successful run chase in the history of the U19 World Cup by hunting down the target of 311 runs in the semifinal against Afghanistan. Aaron George's 115-run knock and fifties from Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and skipper Ayush Mhatre did the job for the Men in Blue.

England, on the other hand, defeated Australia by 27 runs. Captain Thomas Rew played the match-defining innings of 110 runs in the first innings before his bowlers did the job and stopped Australia captain Oliver Peake (100 runs off 888 balls) from running away with the game.

India Under-19 vs England Under-19 World Cup 2026 final playing 11s:

India U19 playing 11: Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre(c), Vihaan Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu(w), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran.

England U19 playing 11: Ben Dawkins, Joseph Moores, Ben Mayes, Thomas Rew(w/c), Caleb Falconer, Ralphie Albert, Farhan Ahmed, Sebastian Morgan, James Minto, Manny Lumsden, Alex Green.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting decision. England's bowling attack with Farhan Ahmed (son of the former England spinner, right?) looked sharp against Australia. Hope our top order is solid today.
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Priya S
So proud of our boys! 10th final appearance is no joke. The future of Indian cricket is in safe hands. All the best to Captain Ayush and the team. Bring the cup home! 🏆
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Vikram M
Respectfully, I would have preferred to bowl first. Put the pressure on England, they haven't won this since 1998. Batting second with DLS in mind could have been safer. But captain's call!
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Rohit P
Aaron George is in sublime form! Another century on the cards? If he and Vaibhav get going, we can post a huge total. England will be under pressure chasing in a final.
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Michael C
Should be a cracking final. Both teams unbeaten. Thomas Rew is a serious player for England. Hope the pitch is a good one for a fair contest. Best of luck to both sides.

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