The U19 World Cup final will be played on Friday, with heavy-weights England and India going head-to-head for the title.
For England, the match is a chance to win their first U19 title since 1998, when Owais Shah led a side which included Rob Key and Graeme Swann. For India, they have the opportunity to further their record of wins, and wrestle back the trophy Australia took off them two years ago.
U19 World Cups offer glimpses into the future, of who might go on to star at senior level among a much bigger talent pond. Predicting who will rise to the top isn't an exact science, but from watching the last three weeks of action, here's who's made that gut-feel impression.
*Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has not been considered for this list due to his significant success already in senior professional cricket.
Thomas Rew – England
There was already significant noise following Thomas Rew before the World Cup. He was picked for the Lions side which provided a warm-up opposition for Ben Stokes' Ashes squad in November last year, taking the gloves in that team over his older brother who was called-up to England's senior squad last year. From there, he flew to South Africa as short-term cover in the SA20, and arrived in Zimbabwe during his first global winter. Add in the U19 centuries already under his belt and his impressive debut season for Somerset last year, he had all the makings of a classic prodigee.
But beyond those check-boxes, his performance has shown him as the real deal. A clutch hundred amidst a collapse in the semi-final against Australia was the finest example of that. It was a text-book 50-over innings, constructed to perfection and ultimately won his side a place in the final. There's range from power to strike-rotation often lacking in someone who only celebrated his 18th birthday two months ago.
Ollie Peake – Australia
Peake was the youngest member of Australia's winners two years ago and was earmarked for future international honours at that point. He spent time with Australia's Test side in Sri Lanka last year to further his development, and made 92 for Australia A in his second first-class match six months ago. That's in addition to his last-ball six-hitting heroics for Melbourne Renegades in this season's BBL. His rapid rise led to Ricky Ponting predicting a place for him in Australia's 2027 Ashes side.
All of that backing was shown in the back-to-back centuries he scored in Australia's final two matches of the tournament. The first sealed Australia's semi-final place, the second came close to getting them over the line in that semi-final. It was the second innings that showed the full scale of Peake's promise. No other Australia batter passed 50 as he made 100 off 88 balls. The flick off his legs while facing down bowler-of-the-tournament Manny Lumsden marked the difference between those who are able to operate at a higher level. All the hallmarks of a player set to make an impact, are there.
Manny Lumsden – England
Lumsden was somewhat of an unknown quantity going into this tournament. At only 17, he played three List A games for Hampshire earlier this season in his first senior outing. Watching him in Zimbabwe however, the attributes are obvious. Already bowling in the late eighties, he's hostile but not imposing at 5 foot 11 inches, with arm that whips through and generates significant movement. His 15 wickets in the tournament have come at 11.73, and it was in England's game against New Zealand that he was at his best. His 5-17 were the best figures by an England seamer in the competition's history, and were the decisive contribution in what could have been a getable chase.
Abdul Subhan – Pakistan
In Pakistan's must-win clash vs New Zealand, Abdul Subhan bowled an incredible match-defining spell. New Zealand were 59-2 after eight overs when Subhan came on to bowl. He struck with his first ball, and kept the over to a wicket maiden. Another run of six dot balls followed, before he took two wickets in three balls in his third over, which was another maiden. By that point, his 18 balls returned three wickets and zero runs. By the end of his spell, his figures were 4-11 from 6.3 overs – 82 per cent of his deliveries were dots.
While still developing, the full package looks like its not too far away for Subhan. He's quick enough, and hits the pitch hard while getting decent movement. His action is classic and repeatable, already giving him significant control. As Pakistan look to a new generation of fast-bowlers, he might not be too far away from making the step up.
Faisal Shinozada – Afghanistan
Afghanistan equalled their best-ever finish at this World Cup, succumbing to India in the semi-final. Ahead of the final, Faisal Shinozada leads the run-scoring charts, having scored back-to-back centuries against Ireland and India. There's a caveat here, that the majority of his runs have come either against a weaker opposition or on a flat track like the one against India. But he also scored an important 81 against South Africa earlier in the competition, and some of the shots he played in his innings against India outclassed the detraction of the surface. There's also his previous record to consider. On his Afghanistan U19 debut in 2024, aged 16, he scored a 123 off 113 balls against Pakistan.
Honourable mentions:
Ben Mayes – England
Ali Raza – Pakistan
Will Byrom – Australia
Farhan Ahmed – England
Al Fahad – Bangladesh
Will Malajczuk – Australia
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