The 2nd Cambridge U-19 Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2026 continued to produce exciting contests as a remarkable 179-run knock by Nikhil Kumar, a last-over chase by Bal Bhavan Public School, and a match-winning hat-trick by Advik highlighted the action on Days 3 and 4 at Cambridge School, Greater Noida.
The two days saw a mix of dominant batting displays, closely fought finishes and impressive bowling performances, with young cricketers stepping up for their teams in crucial moments.
Day 3: Nikhil Kumar Smashes 179 as Bal Bhavan Pulls Off Last-Over Chase
Day 3 began with a closely contested match between Greater Noida World School and Bal Bhavan Public School, Mayur Vihar.
Batting first, Greater Noida World School posted 181 runs, with Himanshu contributing 38. Bal Bhavan's Shishank Gupta and Sandeep picked up three wickets each to restrict the opposition.
The chase went down to the final over, with Bal Bhavan holding their nerve to secure the win. Shishank Gupta led the batting effort with a match-winning 65, supported by Akshat Matela's 35. Priyanshu Singh claimed three wickets for Greater Noida World School but could not prevent Bal Bhavan from reaching the target.
For his contributions with both bat and ball, Shishank Gupta was named Man of the Match.
The second fixture saw a far more one-sided contest as Jamia Senior Secondary School, Delhi, registered a commanding performance against Cambridge School, Indirapuram.
Nikhil Kumar dominated the innings with an extraordinary 179, powering Jamia to 275 runs in 20 overs. His innings also marked a milestone for the venue, making him the first school cricketer to score a century at the ground, according to tournament officials.
Cambridge School, Indirapuram, struggled in response and were bowled out for just 52. Tausir Islam led Jamia's bowling attack with four wickets, while Mohd Adnan and Arham Tyagi claimed two each. Rakshan Vaigunth was the lone wicket-taker for Cambridge School during Jamia's innings.
Reflecting on Nikhil's performance, Kushank Rustagi, Sports Executive, Society for the Advancement of Education (SAE), said, “It was a special day for school cricket as Nikhil Kumar became the first school student to score a century at this venue. His outstanding knock of 179 runs was a superb display of attacking cricket and made the match truly memorable.”
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Day 4: Kabir Kapahi Takes Four Wickets, Advik Claims Hat-Trick
The fourth day shifted the spotlight towards the bowlers, with Kabir Kapahi and Advik delivering decisive spells in their respective matches.
In the opening fixture, Cambridge School, Greater Noida, restricted Bal Bhavan Public School, Mayur Vihar, to 107 runs. Triyansh was the standout batter for Bal Bhavan with a half-century, but the innings never gained sustained momentum against a disciplined bowling attack.
Kabir Kapahi returned figures of four wickets, while Daksh Sharma and Agastya Shukla picked up two each.
Cambridge School, Greater Noida, faced a difficult chase of their own, losing nine wickets before reaching 111. Dev Kumar Singh contributed 31 runs, while Agastya Shukla remained unbeaten on 16 to help his side cross the line. Kabir Kapahi received the Man of the Match award for his four-wicket haul.
The second match between Cambridge School, Noida, and Rishabh Public School, Mayur Vihar, produced another close finish.
Cambridge School, Noida, put up 134 runs, led by Harshita Tyagi's 35 and an unbeaten 31 from Advik. Rishabh Public School's Advaitt Bhatt impressed with the ball, claiming four wickets.
Advaitt then returned with the bat to score 65, keeping Rishabh Public School in contention during the chase. However, Advik turned the match in Cambridge's favour with a four-wicket haul that included a hat-trick.
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Rishabh Public School were eventually bowled out for 126, falling eight runs short of the target.
With two more days of competitive cricket completed, the tournament has offered a platform for emerging school-level talent to test their abilities in demanding match situations. From Nikhil Kumar's record-setting innings to Advik's hat-trick and Bal Bhavan's tense run chase, the contests have underlined the depth of young cricketing talent participating in the tournament.