
India captain Ayush Mhatre has won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand after the toss was delayed due to wet outfield in the ongoing ICC U-19 World Cup 2026. Having already sealed their Super 6 spot, the Indian team would aim for group top finish at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.
With wins over USA and Bangladesh, India are already on top of Group B with four points, followed by Bangladesh (three) and New Zealand (two). On the other hand, rain played spoilsport in both of New Zealand's games so far. The Kiwis got a point each from both of their games against USA and Bangladesh that were abandoned due to rain.
Star Sports is the official broadcaster of ICC U-19 World Cup 2026 in India. The India U19 vs New Zealand U19 clash will be telecast live on Star Sports channels. Live streaming of IND U19 vs NZ U19 will be available on JioStar app and website.
New Zealand: Aryan Mann, Hugo Bogue, Tom Jones(c), Snehith Reddy, Marco Alpe(w), Jacob Cotter, Jaskaran Sandhu, Callum Samson, Flynn Morey, Selwin Sanjay, Mason Clarke
India U19: Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre(c), Vedant Trivedi, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu(w), Aaron George, Kanishk Chouhan, RS Ambrish, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Mohamed Enaan
India U19 seal a comfortable 7-wicket victory over New Zealand in the rain-shortened contest. Chasing a revised target in a 37-over game, Vedant Trivedi clips Selwin Sanjay’s off-break to backward square leg for a single to complete the chase.
India finish on 130/3 in just 13.3 overs after bowling New Zealand out for 135 in 36.2 overs, wrapping up a dominant all-round performance in Bulawayo.
India U19 move to 113/3 after 12 overs and are firmly on course in the rain-reduced chase. With the match cut to 37 overs, India now need just 17 more runs. Vihaan Malhotra is unbeaten on 8 off 7 balls, while Vedant Trivedi has 5 from 9 deliveries. The required run rate is just 0.68.
Selwin Sanjay strikes as Ayush Mhatre’s impressive innings comes to an end. The delivery is tossed up full outside off, and Mhatre goes for the slog sweep in search of another six. He gets a top edge, and Flynn Morey moves in from deep mid-wicket to take a safe catch. A fine knock from the Indian skipper ends at 53 off 27 balls, studded with six sixes. IND 101/3 after 9.5 overs.
New Zealand finally get a breakthrough as Jaskaran Sandhu removes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Bowling a hard length outside off, Sandhu rushes the batter, who looks to pull but mistimes the shot. Mason Clarke runs back from mid-off and completes a fine diving catch over his shoulder. Sooryavanshi’s attacking knock comes to an end at 40 off 23 balls. IND 87/2 after 8.1 overs.
Ayush Mhatre continues his aggressive knock with 40 off 19 balls, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provides solid support on 25 from 17 deliveries. India move to 59 for 1 and remain well on course. IND 72/1 after 7 overs. They need 58 runs to win from 30 overs.
Mason Clarke provides the early breakthrough as Aaron George is bowled. The off-cutter angles in and then straightens, beating George as he plays down the wrong line. The ball sneaks past the outside edge and crashes into the off stump. India lose an early wicket with George departing for 7 off 6 balls.
That’s the final blow. Henil Patel knocks over Mason Clarke to end the innings as New Zealand are bowled out for 135 in Bulawayo. Bowling full and straight, Patel beats Clarke and sends the stumps flying. Mason Clarke departs for 4 off 5 balls, and India finish a dominant bowling performance. India need 130 runs to win from 37 overs, according to DLS method.
Henil Patel produces a superb yorker to dismiss Flynn Morey. Bowling full and straight at the stumps, Patel catches Morey shuffling across for the flick. The batter misses completely, and the middle stump is knocked back. New Zealand lose another wicket as Morey is bowled for 1 off 4 balls.
RS Ambrish picks up his 4th wicket as Selwin Sanjay is caught at deep mid-wicket. The slower ball does the trick, with Sanjay charging down the pitch and reaching out for the shot. He makes decent contact but hits it straight to Vihaan Malhotra, who takes a simple catch. A handy knock comes to an end as Sanjay departs for 28 off 30 balls.
At the end of 25 overs, New Zealand reach 72/7 but remain under heavy pressure. Selwin Sanjay is unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls, while Callum Samson is holding on at the other end with 6 off 17 deliveries. India continue to dominate proceedings in Bulawayo as wickets keep New Zealand in check.
Mohamed Enaan picks up another wicket as Jacob Cotter’s resistance comes to an end. Cotter goes for the reverse lap again, but Enaan pulls the length back and extracts extra bounce. The ball takes a thin edge and Abhigyan Kundu completes the catch after a slight fumble. New Zealand continue to lose wickets in Bulawayo. Jacob Cotter is out for 23 off 47 balls.
Kanishk Chouhan strikes to send Jaskaran Sandhu back. A flighted delivery outside off, and Sandhu goes for the lofted on-drive without keeping it down. The ball travels straight to long-on, where Khilan Patel takes a comfortable catch. New Zealand lose another wicket as Sandhu departs for 18 off 27 balls in Bulawayo. NZ 59/6 after 19.5 overs
New Zealand continue to struggle at 25/5, with runs hard to come by. Jacob Cotter is on 1 off 7 balls, while Jaskaran Sandhu has 2 from 8 deliveries. India remain firmly in control in Bulawayo.
At 9.3 overs, Khilan Patel gets the breakthrough as Snehith Reddy is stumped. The delivery drifted in and then turned away, drawing Reddy out of his crease. Abhigyan Kundu was quick behind the stumps and took the bails off in one movement. Replays show Reddy’s foot was clearly in the air. New Zealand lose their fifth wicket in Bulawayo. Snehith Reddy departs for 10 off 14 balls.
RS Ambrish delivers an absolute beauty to clean up Marco Alpe. A sharp inswinging yorker sneaks through as Alpe is late on the shot, possibly getting a faint touch off the toe-end before the ball crashes into the leg stump. New Zealand’s troubles deepen in Bulawayo as another wicket falls. Marco Alpe departs for 1 off 7 balls. NZ 22/4 after 9 overs.
The game has been reduced to 37 overs per side due to rain. Notably, 2 bowlers can bowl a maximum of 8 overs, 3 bowlers can bowl 7 each. The innings break has been cut short to 25 minutes.
After an inspection by the umpires, the game is set to resume at 4 PM IST (12:30 PM local time).
There is a hint of optimism at the venue as the rain finally backs off. While dark clouds still hover overhead, the outfield is beginning to show improvement. Covers are coming off bit by bit, and the umpires have stepped out for a detailed inspection, focusing on the damp patches that delayed play earlier. If conditions continue to improve, we could see play resume shortly.
OUTTT!!!! After RS Ambrish, its Henil Patel's turn. The Indian pacer, who took a fifer against USA, traps Aryan Mann in front. No hesitation for the umpire to raise his finger. Meanwhile, it has started to pour again as the players rush back. The rain is steady with the pitch and the square well nder cover. The outfield is damp and has not been covered. NZ U19 17-3 (7.1)
OUTTT!!!! Another wicket for RS Ambrish in consecutive overs. Tom Jones, who came into bat after the fall of Hugo, departs after his 10-ball stay in the middle. Jones looks to play on the rise, and lobs it to mid-off for Ayush Mhatre to take a low diving catch. NZ U19 9/2 (5)
OUTTTTT!!! RS Ambrish draws first blood as Hugo Bougue edges behind to Abhigyan Kundu for just four runs. Hugo goes for 4.
Aryan Mann and Hugo Bogue open the batting for New Zealand. RS Ambrish will open the attack for India. Just five runs conceded by Ambrish followed by a maiden from Henil Patel. NZ U19 5/0 (2)
India have won the toss and opted to field first. Aaron George, who missed the first two games, has been including in the Indian playing XI.
Looks like we are here for a longer delay as plenty of sawdust are being spread across affected areas. The umpires are having an inspection and are walking gingerly across the outfield.
The umpires are explaining the situation to both captains. The supersopper are also making the rounds. The next round of inspections will be at 9:45 AM local (1:15 PM IST)
12 teams from four groups will qualify for the Super 6 stage where teams will be divided into two groups. Teams will carry forward points from the group stage into Super 6. That's why the rankings at the end of group stage has become important. The top two teams from two groups in the Super 6 stage qualify for the semifinals. Japan, USA, Scotland and Tanzania are the four teams to have been eliminated.
Live visuals show that there are still wet patches in the ground with a mountain of sawdust in company. The umpires are out on the ground, inspecting the playing conditions. Meanwhile, the players are out in the middle, doing their respective warmups.
Expectedly, the toss has been delayed because of the damp out-field. In fact, the groundstaff are working on a particular pitch which looks very damp and plenty of sawdust is being applied. Both teams are warming up. No rain in sight at the moment.
On the other hand, New Zealand had both their games abandoned against USA and Bangladesh. Although qualified, New Zealand need a win to finish in top two in the group stage.
India have been dominant in both the games so far despite the fact that both were affected by rain. In the first game against USA, India had their target revised 96. India chased down with ease. Against Bangladesh, India batted 49 overs for their 238. In reply, Bangladesh's chase was hampered by rain as they were eventually bowled out below 150.
Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the India vs New Zealand clash in the U19 World Cup 2026.
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