Did Sri Lanka’s Chamuditha Set a New U19 WC Record with His 192 Against Japan?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Viran Chamuditha scored 192 runs in the ICC U19 WC.
- He broke the previous record of 191 runs set by Hasitha Boyagoda.
- Established a record 328-run partnership with Dimantha Mahavithana.
- Sri Lanka scored 388 runs in their opening match.
- The tournament is co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Windhoek, Jan 17 (NationPress) Sri Lanka’s Viran Chamuditha has achieved a remarkable feat by scoring 192 runs, setting a new record for the highest individual score in the history of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. This historic innings took place against Japan at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Saturday.
The 17-year-old opener from St. Servatius’ College, Matara surpassed the previous record held by fellow Sri Lankan Hasitha Boyagoda, who scored 191 against Kenya in 2018. Chamuditha's innings included an impressive 26 fours and a six before he was dismissed by Timothy Moore.
In addition to his individual achievement, Chamuditha formed a record-breaking partnership of 328 runs with Dimantha Mahavithana, marking the highest opening stand in the tournament's history, eclipsing the previous record of 303 runs set by Dan Lawrence and Jack Burnham from England against Fiji in 2016.
His innings joins a list of significant performances within the competition, alongside Boyagoda, Jakob Bhula of New Zealand (180 against Kenya in 2018), Donovan Pagon from the West Indies (176 against Scotland in 2002), and Lawrence (174 against Fiji in 2016).
This monumental performance propelled Sri Lanka to a total of 388 runs in their opening match of the 2026 edition, leaving Japan with a challenging target. Up until now, Chamuditha has played 17 Youth ODIs for Sri Lanka, and this remarkable score marks his maiden century in the 50-over format.
The 16th edition of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup is being jointly hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia, with the ongoing group stage expected to feature 24 matches over the span of ten days. Each host country will conduct 12 group matches.
As the tournament progresses, the Super Sixes and playoff rounds will also be divided between the two hosts, with the knockout phase transitioning entirely to Zimbabwe. The semi-finals will take place at Queens Sports Club and Harare Sports Club on February 3 and 4, with the final scheduled for February 6 in Harare.