India beat Afghanistan in U19 Asia Cup 2026 semifinal, making it India vs Pakistan title clash again

India Under-19 stormed into the final of the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 after securing a convincing eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the semifinal on Thursday (12th November 2026). The Indian youngsters delivered a strong performance to book their place in the title clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Captain Lakshay Raichandani and Aryavir Sehwag scored impressive half-centuries to help India secure the win. Their batting performances guided the team to a comfortable eight-wicket victory. Pakistan had also booked its place in the final after defeating Bangladesh by nine wickets in the first semifinal.

India will now face Pakistan in the U19 Asia Cup 2026 final. Notably, Pakistan defeated India in the group stage of this tournament. The two teams also met in the 2025 final, where Pakistan registered a 191-run victory after scoring 347/8 in 50 overs and bowling India out for 156 in 26.2 overs. India will now look to avenge that defeat and lift the title.

India beat Afghanistan by 8 wickets to reach U19 Asia Cup 2026 final

India Under-19 defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets to reach the final of the U19 Asia Cup 2026. After beating Nepal and the United Arab Emirates in the earlier matches, India continued its winning run with another strong performance in the semifinal. Chasing a target of 228 runs, India scored 230 runs in just 36.5 overs, losing only two wickets. The team will now face Pakistan in the final.

Batting first, Afghanistan Under-19 scored 227/8 in their allotted 50 overs. Noman Salarzai and Shah Faisal Rahimi were the top scorers, with both batters scoring 51 runs each. Sohail Khan added 36 runs, while Subhan Jakhali contributed 31. However, India's bowlers kept the Afghan batters under pressure and stopped them from posting a bigger total. Ishan Sood was India's leading wicket-taker with three wickets, while Aryan Savsani picked up two. Kavya Patel, Yashvardhan Chauhan and Arjun Rajput took one wicket each.

India made the run chase look easy and reached the target comfortably in 36.5 overs. The Indian batters showed good control and helped the team secure an eight-wicket victory. With this win, India booked its place in the U19 Asia Cup 2026 final, where it will face Pakistan. Pakistan reached the final after defeating Bangladesh by nine wickets in the other semifinal.