Vihaan Malhotra and Vaibhav Suryavanshi starred as India defeated Bangladesh by 18 runs via the DLS method in their second U19 World Cup match at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

India stumbled early, losing two quick wickets in the third over, with captain Ayush Mhatre dismissed for 6 and Vedant Trivedi out for a golden duck. Vaibhav Suryavanshi steadied the innings with a blazing 72 off 30 balls, forming a crucial partnership with Abhigyan Kundu, who later top-scored with 80. Rain reduced the match to 49 overs per side, with India finishing at 238 all out.

In reply, Bangladesh started steadily, reaching 102 for 2 in 20 overs, but Malhotra’s brilliant bowling turned the game. He claimed four wickets for 14 runs, breaking key partnerships and triggering a collapse that saw Bangladesh lose their last eight wickets for just 40 runs. Supported by Khilan Patel and Henil Patel, Malhotra’s performance sealed a thrilling victory for India.

The all-round show from Malhotra and Suryavanshi was pivotal in India’s memorable 18-run win.