Unbeaten half-centuries from Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George led India to a convincing eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in a rain-affected U19 Men’s Asia Cup semi-final, setting up a thrilling title clash against Pakistan on Sunday.
Match Overview
Due to rain, the first semi-final at the ICC Academy Ground was reduced to 20 overs per side. India’s disciplined bowling attack was pivotal, limiting Sri Lanka to 138/8. Kanishk Chouhan and Henil Patel each took two wickets to stifle the Sri Lankan innings.
Sri Lanka struggled initially, slipping to 28/3 by the sixth over. However, skipper Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42) contributed significantly, forming a 45-run partnership that brought some momentum. A late surge from Sethmika Seneviratne, who scored 30 runs off just 22 balls, helped Sri Lanka surpass the 135-run mark.
India’s Chase
India’s chase began on shaky ground, as skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi were both dismissed cheaply by pacer Rasith Nimsara for seven and nine runs respectively. Yet, Malhotra and George steadied the innings with an unbroken 114-run partnership for the third wicket.
Malhotra, recently signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the IPL 2026 auction, finished with 61 not out from 45 balls, featuring six boundaries. George contributed a solid 58 not out off 49 deliveries, including five boundaries. Together, they guided India to victory in just 18 overs, marking the team’s eighth appearance in the title clash.
Looking Ahead
This victory sets the stage for an exciting encounter against Pakistan, who triumphed over Bangladesh by eight wickets in the other semi-final. It will be the first India-Pakistan final in the U19 Asia Cup since 2014, when an India U19 team comprising current senior players like Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav claimed the title.
Brief Scores:
- Sri Lanka U19: 138/8 in 20 overs (Chamika Heenatigala 33, Sethmika Senevirathne 30; Henil Patel 2-31, Kanish Chouhan 2-36)
- India U19: 139/2 in 18 overs (Vihaan Malhotra 61, Aaron George 58; Rasith Nimsara 2-31)
- Result: India won by eight wickets.