Dubai, 19 December (Sports Desk)
-Match Summary: ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2025, 1st Semi-Final
India Under-19 beat Sri Lanka Under-19 by 8 wickets
Venue: ICC Academy Ground, Dubai
Result: India U19 chased down the revised target comfortably to enter the final, where they will face Pakistan U19.
Player of the match–Vihan Malhotra and Aaron Vargh
The match was reduced to a 20-over-a-side contest due to rain interruptions, which delayed the start and affected proceedings.
Sri Lanka U19 Innings: 138/8 in 20 overs
Sri Lanka struggled against a disciplined Indian bowling attack, losing early wickets and finding it hard to accelerate. They were tottering at one stage but a crucial lower-order partnership helped them post a respectable total.
- Top scorers:
- Chamika Heenatigala: 42 (38 balls) – Anchored the innings amid collapses.
- Sethmika Seneviratne: Contributed in a vital 52-run stand for the 7th wicket.
- Key partnership: 52 runs off 40 balls between Heenatigala and Seneviratne for the 7th wicket, which lifted Sri Lanka from 84/6 to a fighting total.
- Indian bowling highlights:
- Kanishk Chauhan: 2 wickets
- Henil Patel: 2 wickets
- Collective effort with wickets shared among the bowlers; no major individual hauls but tight lines restricted scoring.
watch……Pakistan U19 Falls Short Against India U19 by 90 Runs
India U19 Innings: 139/2 in 18 overs (target 139)
India lost two early wickets, including captain Ayush Mhatre and young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but a composed century partnership steered them home with ease.
- Top performers:
- Aaron George: Unbeaten fifty – Played a mature knock under pressure.
- Vihaan Malhotra: Unbeaten fifty – Complemented George perfectly in a match-winning stand.
- Key partnership: Over 100 runs between Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra for the 3rd wicket, which took the game away from Sri Lanka.
- Early setbacks: Ayush Mhatre fell early (caught off Rasith Nimsara), followed by Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but the middle order absorbed the pressure and accelerated when needed.
Key Moments
- Rain played a role, shortening the game and potentially disrupting momentum.
- India’s bowlers set the tone by picking regular wickets and keeping the run rate in check.
- The chase was clinical after the initial wobbles, with George and Malhotra’s fifties ensuring a comfortable victory with 2 overs to spare.
India U19 continued their dominant form in the tournament, qualifying for the final against arch-rivals Pakistan. Their all-round performance highlighted depth in both batting and bowling. Sri Lanka showed fight in recovery but couldn’t defend the total on the day.
