Chamuditha and Mahavithana rewrite Youth ODI history with record 328-run opening stand
Viran Chamuditha and Dimantha Mahavithana produced a batting master-class 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, that helped them beat Japan by 203 runs.
Japan captain Kazuma Kato-Stafford’s decision to field first quickly unravelled as Sri Lanka’s openers seized complete control from the outset. Chamuditha and Mahavithana combined authority with restraint, power with patience, and by the time the first wicket finally fell, the record books had been torn apart.
Their opening stand of 328 is now the highest partnership for any wicket in the history of Youth ODIs. In doing so, they surpassed the long-standing mark of 303 set by England’s Dan Lawrence and Jack Burnham during the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. Notably, it is only the second triple-century partnership ever recorded at this level, underlining the sheer scale of the achievement.
Mahavithana, composed and technically assured, was eventually run out for 115 from 125 deliveries, his innings featuring 11 fours. His dismissal, effected by Taylor Waugh, finally gave Japan something to celebrate, but by then the damage was irreparable and the contest effectively settled.
If Mahavithana laid the foundation, Chamuditha supplied the spectacle. The right-hander batted deep into the innings, maintaining remarkable intensity even as records began to tumble. In the process, he went past the previous highest score in an Under-19 World Cup, overtaking Hasitha Boyagoda’s 191, a mark that had stood since 2018.
Chamuditha eventually fell to Timothy Moore after a majestic 192 from 143 balls, an innings adorned with 26 fours and a six. Only one batter in Youth ODI history has scored more, South Africa’s Jorich van Schalkwyk, who struck 215 in 2025. That places Chamuditha’s knock second on the all-time list and firmly among the finest innings the tournament has witnessed.
Despite Chamuditha’s eventual dismissal, Sri Lanka’s momentum never dipped. Moore finished with respectable figures of 3 for 43 from six overs, but the scoreboard told a far harsher story. Sri Lanka closed on 387-4 from their 50 overs, their second-highest total in Youth ODIs, scoring at an imposing rate of 7.74 runs per over.
Captain Vimath Dinsara added the finishing touches with an unbeaten 44 from just 24 balls, including one four and two sixes, ensuring the innings ended with the same authority with which it had begun.
Japan, set a daunting target of 388, were always facing an uphill battle. Despite a massive chase in their hands, the Japanese players managed to play out the entire 50 overs with Hugo Kelly making a fighting maiden century (102 not out) Sri Lanka used eight bowlers with six of them sharing one wicket each.
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