Top 4 Indian captains who faced defeat in U19 World Cup finals

The Under-19 World Cup is a great platform for budding talents to showcase themselves to the cricketing world. Since its inception in 1988, only 7 of the 31 teams that have competed managed to lift the title. India are the most successful side in the tournament history, having reached glory five times. However, they are closely followed by another international giant, Australia. Hugh Weibgen and Co. won Australia's fourth U19 title with a convincing 79-run win over India in the 2024 edition.

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The Men in Blue also holds the record for the most number of final appearances in the U19 World Cup. India, blessed with impressive talent, have reached the business end of the tournament 9 times. Australia are second in this list with 6 final appearances. In this article, let's see who were the four Indian captains who lost in the U19 World Cup final. 

Also Read: Top 3 Teams with the Most U19 Cricket World Cup Final Appearances

#4. Uday Saharan (2024 U19 WC final) 

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Led by Uday Saharan, the team remained unbeaten throughout the tournament but lost to Australia in the final. Chasing the highest score in a U-19 World Cup final, India fell short by 79 runs. Skipper Saharan, Musheer Khan and Sachin Dhas were the leading forces in India's batting unit, but the trio failed to perform when it mattered most.

#3. Priyam Garg (2020 U19 WC final) 

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India entered the 2020 U19 World Cup final as favourites, but Priyam Garg and Co. were taken aback by Bangladesh. The Men in Blue were asked to bat first and they could only manage 177 on the board. Akbar Ali's men chased down the target with three wickets in hand to win Bangladesh's maiden U19 title. Young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal was part of the team and even won the Player of the Tournament for finishing as the top scorer. Apart from him, Tilak Varma, Dhruv Jurel and Ravi Bishnoi were also notable players in the team.

#2. Ishan Kishan (2016 U19 WC final) 

Ishan Kishan-led Team India lost to West Indies by 5 wickets in the 2016 U19 World Cup final. A top-order collapse resulted in India getting bundled out for just 145 runs. Batting in reply, Windies hit the target with 3 balls to spare. Shimron Hetmyer's side won their first and only U19 World Cup title. India's top scorer was Sarfaraz Khan who scored 51 runs off 89 balls. Notably, Rishabh Pant was the vice-captain of the team. 

#1. Ravikant Shukla (2006 U19 WC final)

India won their maiden U19 World Cup in 2000 and had a chance to double the tally in 2006 when they faced arch-rivals Pakistan in the tournament final. India's first final loss came under the leadership of Uttar Pradesh cricketer Ravikant Shukla. Current Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Piyush Chawla were all part of this team. Chasing a mere target of 110 runs, India were bowled out for just 71 runs against Sarfaraz Ahmed's team.