The Indian camp was rattled by multiple COVID-19 cases but Yash Dhull led the side to an unprecedented fifth World Cup title with a four-wicket win over England in the title clash on Saturday.
India look on course for a record-extending fifth title given the depth of talent and form but standing in the way is a driven English team, chasing its own piece of history in what promises to be an enthralling final.
Nivethan Radhakrishnan fired Australia to third place in the ICC Under 19 World Cup
Pakistan and South Africa both signed off their Under-19 World Cup campaigns on a positive note with victories on Thursday.
India's U-19 pace sensation Kamlesh Nagarkoti wants to emulate Mohammed Shami and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and said he tries to put himself in their shoes to wriggle out of tricky situations.
COVID-hit India will be bolstered by the return of key players when the four-time champions meet holders Bangladesh in the third quarter-final of the Under-19 World Cup in Osbourn, Antigua on Saturday.
Saurabh Netravalkar stunned tournament favourites Pakistan in a thrilling encounter.
'His focus is like that only, he will give his 100 per cent in whatever he takes up, be it studying or be it playing cricket.'
Put in to bat at the Providence stadium, India rode on skipper Yash Dhull's responsible 82 to post a fighting 232 all out and then bundled out the opposition for 187, with left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal (5/28) and pacer Raj Bawa (4/47) doing bulk of the damage.
While Australia scored a six-wicket win over the West Indies, Sri Lanka beat Scotland by 40 runs in two Group D matches.
'We played since childhood in U-15, U-17. It felt like we carried on from where we left off.'
Musheer became the youngest Mumbai batter to score a century in a Ranji Trophy final, surpassing Tendulkar's record.
India are the most successful team in the U19 Asia Cup having won the title eight times.
Defending champions Mumbai got their Ranji Trophy campaign back on track with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Maharashtra in their second group A league game in Mumbai on Monday, offsetting the heavy loss to Baroda in the opening game.
It has been close to a decade since a BCCI tournament scorecard featured two of Indian cricket's greatest names -- Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.
Defending champions India face Afghanistan in the campaign opener of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup to be played in New Zealand on January 15.
Unstoppable thus far, India are hoping to rewrite the record books with a fourth title when the Rahul Dravid-coached side squares off against an equally formidable Australia in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, in Maunganui, New Zealand, on Saturday.
Tributes also poured in from across the border with former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar hailing Dhawan's hard work and other qualities.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to issue a diktat to Indian Railways, stating that only permanent employees will be allowed to play in the Cooch Behar Trophy, the board's Under-19 tournament.
India is placed in Group B alongside debutants Uganda, South Africa and Ireland for the ICC Under-19 men's cricket World Cup, to be held in the West Indies across four countries from January 14 to February 5 2022.
India's Under-19 captain Vijay Zol has been suspended for one match, while off-spinner Aamir Gani has been reprimanded after being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup quarter-final match against England.
No praise is enough for Ravichandran Ashwin, said India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday as he lauded the senior off-spinner ahead of his 100 Tests, calling him a "rare" talent who has contributed consistently to the team's success.
Afghanistan registered a thumping 202 runs victory over New Zealand to move into the Super League semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Christchurch on Thursday.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday.
Images from the Under-19 World Cup final between India and Bangladesh, at Potchefstroom, on Sunday
Akbar Ali was not informed about the tragedy back home but he found out through one of his brothers.
'When he was a kid, Raj kept on watching Yuvraj, who would come for his nets at the academy and for kids. The first hero makes a lasting impression.'
Medium pacer Deepak Hooda (3/26) led an impressive Indian bowling performance that paved the way for an easy seven-wicket win over New Zealand in U-19 tri-series match in Darwin.
Skipper Sami Aslam (108) made a magnificent century as Pakistan colts held on to their nerves to pull off a narrow two-wicket win over India in the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai.
India under-19 captain Yash Dhull says it was a conscious decision to steady the ship by batting till the 40th over alongside Shaik Rasheed without taking much risk, which helped them notch a 96-run win against Australia in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
England kept their nerve to become the first team to reach the ICC Under-19 World Cup final after edging a thriller with Afghanistan by 15 runs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium at North Sound in Antigua on Tuesday.
Gavaskar, impressed by Jurel's approach and situational awareness, made comparisons to the legendary MS Dhoni
Afghanistan caused a major upset in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup when it defeated three-time champion and last edition runner-up Australia by 36 runs at Abu Dhabi Oval 2 on Monday.
Sri Lanka sealed their qualification for the Super League stage with a dramatic victory over West Indies, while South Africa defeated Ireland to also book their place in the quarter-finals at the Under-19 World Cup.
Four-time champions and title contenders India stormed into the Super League quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup after thrashing minnows Ireland by a whopping 174 runs in a league game.
Former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma hoped the new faces roped in by his side for this edition of the IPL are able to make a mark from the outset as the franchise aims for a record sixth title under new skipper Hardik Pandya.
Dunith Wellalage was again the star for Sri Lanka as he took a five-fer and scored 52 to guide his side to a four-wicket victory over Australia in the ICC Under 19 Men's Cricket World Cup.
Left-handed opener Akhil Herwadkar scored a century as almost all the Indian batsmen scored runs in their crushing 189 run win over hosts United Arab Emirates in the opening game of the U-19 Asia Cup in Sharjah.
Nepal rode on leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane's five-wicket haul, which included the first hat-trick in the tournament, to beat Ireland by eight wickets and book their maiden berth in the Super League quarter-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, in Fatullah, on Saturday.
India would have in mind the loss they endured against Bangladesh that knocked them out of the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur last November.