Lakshya Raichandani’s 93 powers India U19 to eight-wicket semifinal win over Afghanistan, sets up blockbuster final against Pakistan

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 36 off 44 deliveries, helping Afghanistan reach 227/8 in their allotted 50 overs.Ishan Sood was India’s leading wicket-taker with figures of 3/43, while Savsani claimed 2/29. Manal Chauhan and Yashbardhan Chauhan also played their part in keeping Afghanistan’s scoring rate under control.

Raichandani, Sehwag and Vineeth power India’s chase

India’s response was built around an impressive opening partnership between Raichandani and Sehwag. The Indian skipper took an attacking approach from the outset, finding boundaries regularly, particularly through the off-side, while Sehwag provided stability at the other end.The pair added 117 runs for the opening wicket before Sehwag departed shortly after bringing up his half-century. His 51 off 57 balls provided the perfect platform for India’s chase.Raichandani continued to dominate the Afghanistan bowlers and was joined by Vineeth, who rotated the strike effectively while capitalising on scoring opportunities. The Indian captain eventually fell for 93 off 90 deliveries, missing out on a well-deserved century by just seven runs.Vineeth ensured there were no further setbacks, bringing up his half-century before finishing the contest in style with a six off Noor Ali Niazi. He remained unbeaten on 57 as India completed a comprehensive victory in 36.5 overs.

India set up final clash against Pakistan

The victory sets up a high-profile India-Pakistan final on Saturday, giving the defending runners-up an opportunity to avenge their defeat in the previous edition’s title clash, where Pakistan emerged champions.Brief Scores:

Result: India U19 won by eight wickets.