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India's U-19 team faced defeat in the ICC Under-19 World Cup final against Australia, marking the third consecutive ICC final loss to the Australian side. Mohammad Kaif, the former cricketer, shared a heartfelt message for the Indian team on 'X'.
India's U-19 team suffered a defeat by 79 runs in the finals, being dismissed for a mere 174 while pursuing a target of 254 set by Australia U-19, who scored 253/7 in their fifty overs. This marks the first instance of the Men in Blue losing to Australia in the Under-19 World Cup finals.
Before this game, India and Australia had met in two Under-19 World Cup finals, with India emerging victorious both times in 2012 and 2018 under the leadership of Unmukt Chand and Prithvi Shaw respectively.
This marks the third consecutive ICC Final where the Men in Blue have fallen short against Australia. After losses in the World Test Championship Finals in June 2023 and the ODI World Cup finals in November 2023, India succumbed to defeat in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
Men in Blue's fifth Straight U-19 World Cup Final
It was the fifth consecutive final appearance for the Men in Blue in the Under-19 World Cups. Out of these five, they emerged victorious in 2018 and 2022. Ishan Kishan led the team to the finals in 2016, but they were defeated by West Indies. Then, under Shaw's leadership, India triumphed over Australia in 2018 to claim the title.
In 2020, Priyam Garg's leadership saw India reach the finals but they were defeated by Bangladesh. Following that, Yash Dhull guided the team to victory against England in the 2022 finals. However, Uday Saharan's leadership couldn't secure victory against Australia in the latest finals.
The 43-year-old Kaif, the first captain to lead the Men in Blue to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2000, offered words of encouragement to the young stars in his tweet.
He wrote, “At the U-19 level team results don’t matter much. Future stars learn lessons that help them in the long journey… Well played India. This time have to say Australia good on pitch and on paper.”
Mohammad Kaif’s Tweet For India’s Under-19 Players
India remain the most successful team in the Under-19 World Cups, clinching five titles. The trophy was lifted under the leadership of Kaif in 2000, Virat Kohli in 2008, Unmukt Chand in 2012, Prithvi Shaw in 2018, and Dhull in 2022.
Despite reaching the finals in 2006, 2016, 2020, and now 2024, India finished as runners-up. With the best win rate in the tournament’s history, India have consistently delivered strong performances over the past five editions.
In the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, several Indian players excelled. Skipper Uday Saharan emerged as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, tallying 397 runs in seven innings at an average of 56.71. Additionally, batter Musheer Khan's brother Sarfaraz Khan, stood as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament, accumulating 360 runs in seven innings at an average of 60.00.
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