Away from the spotlight, MS Dhoni stood beside Sanju Samson under the Chepauk skies, handing him a keepsake. That moment came mid-event, ROAR 2026 humming with past glories and fresh triumphs. Not far off, Shivam Dube received his own tribute – quiet, deliberate, no grand speech needed. Then Ayush Mhatre stepped forward, young but steady, handed an emblem of victory by cricket’s most unshakable leader. Veterans lined the stage, their presence stitching old tales to new wins. The air carried more than applause; it held recognition, one player at a time.
A fresh year began strong when young Indian players lifted their sixth youth world trophy, overwhelming England by a hundred runs under Zimbabwe’s sun. Victory came fast, loud, early – Harare watching closely as boundaries piled up and hopes broke down across the field.
Fifty was reached by Ayush Mhatre, though it was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who tore into the attack – blasting 175 from just 80 deliveries. A total of 411 for nine came on the board after half a century of overs. Chasing that target, England held firm at first. Then wickets fell fast until they were dismissed for 311 before even forty-one full overs had passed.
That win came after a blistering start with the bat, where one man tore through the bowling attack before another piled on the pressure. A huge total unfolded when Samson hammered boundaries at will, his innings ending just shy of a century. Then Kishan sprinted to a quick fifty, accelerating even faster in the death overs. The scoreboard ballooned thanks to their relentless pace, setting up an insurmountable target. New Zealand crumbled under that weight, falling well short by nearly ten dozen runs. Victory arrived under clear skies, sealed long before the last over began.
A shaky chase saw New Zealand fall short at 159 in 19 overs, undone by Jasprit Bumrah’s sharp 4 for 15, while Axar Patel added pressure through his 3 for 27.
Last season saw the team under Ruturaj Gaukwad sink to last place early, weighed down by weak performances. Yet strength emerged through smart picks in the mini-draft, sparking quiet belief in a historic sixth crown
