India Under-19 secured their place in the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 final with a convincing eight-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the semifinal at Al Amerat, Oman, on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 228, India reached 230/2 in just 36.5 overs, with captain Lakshya Raichandani leading the way with a match-winning unbeaten 93. The emphatic victory helped India seal their place in the final with 79 balls to spare.
Afghanistan lose momentum after promising start
Afghanistan, after winning the toss and electing to bat, made a steady start and appeared well placed to post a challenging total. At 143/3 in the 36th over, they had enough wickets in hand to accelerate during the final overs.
However, India's bowlers turned the game around with a disciplined spell in the middle and death overs. Afghanistan lost three wickets in quick succession, with Aryan Savsani striking twice in the same over to dismiss Amir Hamza and Tahir Sarwary.
Noman Salarzai and Shah Faisal Rahimi both scored 51, but struggled to accelerate against India's disciplined bowling attack. Captain Sohail Khan remained unbeaten on…