Sri Lanka’s Viran Chamuditha made history in the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup by scoring 192 runs against Japan, setting a new record for the highest individual score in the tournament’s history. The 17-year-old opener from St. Servatius’ College, Matara, surpassed the previous record of 191 runs set by Hasitha Boyagoda in 2018 by hitting 26 fours and a six before being dismissed by Timothy Moore.
Chamuditha, in partnership with Dimantha Mahavithana, also set a new record for the biggest partnership in the tournament’s history with a 328-run opening stand. This feat surpassed the previous record of 303 runs set by England’s Dan Lawrence and Jack Burnham against Fiji in 2016. Chamuditha’s remarkable innings adds to a list of notable performances in the competition, including those by Boyagoda, New Zealand’s Jakob Bhula, West Indies’ Donovan Pagon, and England’s Lawrence.
The impressive performance by Chamuditha helped Sri Lanka reach a total of 388 runs in their opening match of the 2026 edition, putting Japan under pressure for a challenging chase. With 17 Youth ODIs under his belt, Chamuditha had scored three fifties before achieving his maiden century in the 50-over format.
The ongoing 16th edition of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup is co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia, featuring 24 matches in the group stage over ten days. Both Zimbabwe and Namibia will host 12 group matches each, with the Super Sixes and playoff rounds also divided between the two hosts before the knockout phase moves entirely to Zimbabwe. The semi-finals are scheduled to take place at Queens Sports Club and Harare Sports Club on February 3 and 4, with the final set for February 6 in Harare.
