Top batters scored most runs for India in a single U19 WC edition

Under-19 cricket is an important stepping stone in every cricketer’s life and the Under-19 World Cup is the biggest stage for any budding cricketer to show his cricketing prowess to the world. Some of the great Indian players have represented India at the Under-19 level and laid the platform for success at the next level which is the national Indian team.

India have produced some excellent batters over the years who have gone on to break several batting records at the biggest stage and some of those batters showed a glimpse of their batting prowess at the Under-19 stage only like Musheer Khan who has lit up the ongoing Under-19 World Cup with his big scores.

Top India Under-19 batters who have scored the most numbers of runs for India in a single edition of an Under-19 World Cup

1) Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan, the left-handed batsman known for his aggressive style of play, had a remarkable run in the 2004 Under-19 World Cup held in Bangladesh. He was the star player of the tournament, scoring a whopping 505 runs in just seven matches, averaging an impressive 84.16 runs per innings.

Dhawan's batting was a treat to watch, as he displayed his power and skill throughout the tournament. He smashed three centuries (scores of 100 or more runs) and one fifty. Dhawan displayed an outstanding performance by scoring 155 runs off 138 balls against Scotland.

He continued this impressive form with another century, making 120 runs off 148 balls, in a match against hosts Bangladesh. He achieved his third century against Sri Lanka, recording a remarkable 146 runs from 136 balls. Notably, the cricketer born in New Delhi holds a unique distinction as the sole player to date who has scored over 500 runs in a single edition of the Under-19 World Cup.    

2) Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal amassed a total of 400 runs during the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa and was honoured with the Player of the Tournament award. Jaiswal's scores in the World Cup were as follows: 88, 105*, 62, 57*, 29*, and 59, establishing him as the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

He is currently India’s opening batter and has a bright future ahead of playing for the national team.

3)  Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill was appointed as the vice-captain of the Indian squad during the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Demonstrating a remarkable performance, he emerged as the top run-scorer for the team with 372 runs and received the accolade of the player of the tournament. After India's matches in the competition, the International Cricket Council (ICC) recognized Gill as the rising star of the squad.

4)  Sarfaraz Khan

Sarfaraz was then selected to join the India squad for the Under-19 World Cup held in the UAE in 2014. With an impressive performance of 211 runs in six games at an average of 70.33, Sarfaraz signalled his readiness for the transition to the next level. In 2015, Royal Challengers Bangalore secured his services for INR 50 lakhs, making him the youngest player to participate in the IPL.

A year later, Sarfaraz emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, accumulating 355 runs from six matches. His ability to rescue India from challenging starts marked a breakthrough moment in his career, establishing him as a promising talent on the rise.

5)  Cheteshwar Pujara

In 2006, India experienced a defeat to Pakistan in the final of the Under-19 World Cup. Nevertheless, Cheteshwar Pujara was recognized as the standout cricketer of the tournament, amassing 349 runs in six innings, including one century and two fifties.

Cheteshwar Pujara has been a longstanding and crucial member of Team India, holding the permanent number three batting position in the Indian Test team. However, his recent absence from the team is attributed to a downturn in performance.

has accumulated 7195 runs in 103 Tests for the country, boasting 19 centuries. Despite his stellar performance in Test cricket, Pujara hasn't made a significant impact in white-ball cricket, having played only five ODIs for the national team.