Dubai: India are through to the final of the U19 Asia Cup, setting up a mouth-watering clash against arch-rivals Pakistan after a calm and convincing eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a rain-hit semi-final on Friday.
Unbeaten half-centuries from Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George helped India cruise past Sri Lanka’s modest target in Dubai, shrugging off an early wobble to seal their place in Sunday’s title match.
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Rain-Reduced Semi-Final, India Bowlers Set the Tone
Persistent rain forced the match at the ICC Academy Ground to be reduced to 20 overs per side. India made the most of the conditions, with their bowlers striking early to put Sri Lanka on the back foot.
Sri Lanka slipped to 28 for 3 inside six overs as Kanishk Chouhan and Henil Patel kept things tight and picked up two wickets each. A brief recovery came through skipper Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42), who added 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Sethmika Seneviratne’s quick 30 off 22 balls pushed Sri Lanka to 138 for 8, but it never looked quite enough.
Early Jitters, Then Malhotra–George Take Control
India’s chase didn’t start smoothly. Captain Ayush Mhatre and opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi were dismissed cheaply by pacer Rasith Nimsara, leaving India in a spot of bother early on.
That’s when Malhotra and George stepped in and changed the mood completely.
The duo stitched together an unbeaten 114-run stand for the third wicket, batting with maturity well beyond their years. Malhotra, fresh off being picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the IPL 2026 auction, played the aggressor’s role with a fluent 61* off 45 balls, striking six boundaries. George, calm and technically solid, supported him perfectly with an unbeaten 58 off 49 deliveries.
India reached the target in just 18 overs, sealing their eighth final appearance in the tournament’s history.
India vs Pakistan Final After 11 Years
The win sets up a high-voltage final against Pakistan U19, who beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the other semi-final.
This will be the first India–Pakistan final in the U19 Asia Cup since 2014—a clash many fans still remember fondly. That Indian side featured future senior stars like Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav, and went on to lift the trophy.
With form, confidence, and history on their side, India will head into Sunday’s final knowing what’s at stake—not just a title, but bragging rights in one of cricket’s fiercest rivalries.
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Brief Scores
Sri Lanka U19 138/8 in 20 overs
(Chamika Heenatigala 33, Sethmika Seneviratne 28; Henil Patel 2/31, Kanishk Chouhan 2/36)
India U19 139/2 in 18 overs
(Vihaan Malhotra 61*, Aaron George 58*; Rasith Nimsara 2/31)
India won by eight wickets.
