BCCI Announces Rs 7.5Cr Prize for U-19 World Cup Winners
India won its sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title in 2026, highlighted by 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s record-breaking 175 in the final.
India has once again proved its strength in youth cricket by winning the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026. With this victory, India has now won the tournament six times — in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, 2022 and 2026 — the highest by any country.
The ICC Under-19 World Cup first began in 1988 in Australia. After a gap, it restarted in 1998 and has been held every two years since then. Over the years, India has built a strong record in the tournament, and this latest win has made fans across the country proud.
This year’s final against England will always be remembered for 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He played a stunning innings of 175 runs from just 80 balls, the highest score ever in an Under-19 World Cup final. England’s bowlers struggled to stop him, and cricket fans were amazed by his fearless batting.
However, Vaibhav cannot play for India’s senior team yet. As per the ICC rule introduced in 2020, a player must be at least 15 years old to play international cricket. Born on 27 March 2011, Vaibhav was only 14 during the tournament in February 2026. He will become eligible after 27 March 2026.
At the same time, he cannot continue in the Under-19 team either. The BCCI follows a one-tournament rule, which allows a player to play only one Under-19 World Cup. This rule gives chance to new young players in every edition.
Another interesting fact is that the ICC does not give prize money for the Under-19 World Cup, as it focuses on learning and development. However, the BCCI announced a reward of ?7.5 crore for the team and support staff to appreciate their hard work.
Cricket fans believe that this is just the beginning for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the future of Indian cricket looks very bright.
