Chief Scores: Sri Lanka U19 387 for 4 (50)overs (Viran Chamuditha 192, Dimantha Mahavithana 115, Vimath Dinsara 44n.o.; Timothy Moore 3/43)
Japan U19 184/8 in 50 overs (Hugo Kelly 102 not out, Nihar Parmar 23; Sethmika Seneviratne 9/1, Jeewantha Sriram , Viran Chamuditha 1/17, Rasith Nimsara 1/21, Vigneshwaran Akash 1/36, Chamika Heenatigala 1/16)
Viran Chamuditha and Dimantha Mahavithana produced a batting masterclass for the ages as they rewrote Youth ODI history with a record opening stand of 328 at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Windhoek, guiding Sri Lanka to a commanding 203-run victory over Japan.
On a warm afternoon at the Namibia Cricket Ground, Japan captain Kazuma Kato-Stafford’s decision to field first quickly backfired. From the first ball, Sri Lanka’s openers asserted complete control, blending authority with patience and power with composure. By the time the first wicket fell, the record books had been rewritten.
Their 328-run opening partnership now stands as the highest for any wicket in Youth ODI history, surpassing the 303-run mark set by England’s Dan Lawrence and Jack Burnham in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. Remarkably, it is only the second triple-century stand at this level.
Mahavithana laid a solid foundation, compiling 115 from 125 balls, featuring 11 fours, before being run out by Taylor Waugh. Chamuditha then took centre stage, racing to 192 from 143 deliveries, adorned with 26 fours and a six, eclipsing Hasitha Boyagoda’s 191 as the highest Under-19 World Cup score. Only South Africa’s Jorich van Schalkwyk, with 215 in 2025, has scored more in Youth ODIs.
Sri Lanka closed on 387-4, their second-highest Youth ODI total, with Vimath Dinsara adding an unbeaten 44 from 24 balls. Japan, chasing 388, battled bravely, with Hugo Kelly scoring a maiden century of 102 not out, but could only manage 184-8 in 50 overs.
Chamuditha and Mahavithana’s record-breaking stand was a breathtaking display of skill, patience, and dominance—a partnership that will be remembered as one of the finest in Under-19 cricket history.
