Sri Lanka’s Hasitha Boyagoda holds the record for the highest individual score in the U19 World Cup. The top-order batter smashed 191 runs off just 152 balls against Kenya U19 in the 9th place play-off quarter-final of the 2018 ICC U19 World Cup.
After having elected to bat, Sri Lanka made a blistering start to their innings, with Boyagoda and his fellow opener Dhananjaya Lakshan playing an 87-run stand for the first wicket. Boyagoda followed it up with a 147 run partnership with Nishan Madushka, who scored a 58-ball 60 as the young Lankans posted 419/4 on board; the fourth highest team total in U19 World Cup.
During his record innings, Boyagoda played as many as three fifty-plus runs partnerships, with the most notable coming against Jehan Daniel. The pair scored 89 runs between them in just 56 balls.
The Lankan Lions were equally vicious with the ball, bowling out Kenya for a mere 108 to win the match by 311 runs.
Meanwhile, six days before Boyagoda got into the history books, a certain Jakob Bhula of New Zealand had registered the highest individual score in the U19 World Cup. The opening batsman scored a 144-ball 180 to form a brilliant 245-run opening wicket stand with Rachin Ravindra. Interestingly, his score of 180 runs also came against Kenya. New Zealand posted 436/4 on board and won the match by 243 runs.
Donovan Pagon of West Indies sits third in the list of highest individual scores in the U19 World Cup. The 39-year-old scored 176 runs against Scotland U19 in the 2002 edition. England’s Dan Lawrence and West Indies’ Keagan Simmons complete the top five list with scores of 174 and 166 respectively.
Furthermore, while there is no Indian in the top five list, it is worth noting that Raj Bawa holds the record for the highest individual score in the U19 World Cup for India. The 19-year-old middle-order batter surpassed Shikhar Dhawan after scoring an unbeaten 162 against Uganda in the 2022 U19 World Cup. Dhawan had held the record for 18 years after his scintillating 155 against Scotland in the 2004 U19 World Cup.
Highest individual score in U19 World Cup
| Player | Team | Runs | Balls | Opposition | 4s | 6s | Year |
| Hasitha Boyagoda | Sri Lanka U19 | 191 | 152 | Kenya U19 | 28 | 2 | 2018 |
| Jakob Bhula | New Zealand U19 | 180 | 144 | Kenya U19 | 10 | 5 | 2018 |
| Donovan Pagon | West Indies U19 | 176 | 129 | Scotland U19 | 21 | 5 | 2002 |
| Dan Lawerence | England U19 | 174 | 150 | Fiji U19 | 25 | 1 | 2016 |
| Keagan Simmons | West Indies U19 | 166 | 137 | Canada U19 | 17 | 0 | 2018 |
| James Marshall | New Zealand U19 | 164* | 143 | Namibia U19 | 11 | 0 | 1998 |
| Scott Kremerskothen | Australia U19 | 164 | - | PNG U19 | - | - | 1998 |
| Raj Bawa | India U19 | 162* | 108 | Uganda U19 | 14 | 8 | 2022 |
| Jacobus Rudolph | South Africa U19 | 156* | 140 | Nepal U19 | 12 | 2 | 2000 |
| Cameron White | Australia U19 | 156* | 121 | Scotland U19 | 10 | 4 | 2002 |
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Featured photo: Unsplash / Ajay Parthasarathy
