U19 Asia Cup: India U19 Clinches Semi-Final Victory Over Sri Lanka, Set to Face Pakistan in Final
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India U19 defeated Sri Lanka U19 by eight wickets in a rain-affected Asia Cup semi-final and will now face Pakistan in the final. Key highlights inside.
India's Under-19 team secured their place in the Asia Cup final after an impressive eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka's U19 team in the semi-final, a match shortened by rain on Friday. The win sets up a final showdown against Pakistan.
Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George forged an impressive unbroken partnership to guide India to the target. This followed a disciplined bowling performance that had earlier restricted Sri Lanka to 138 for 8 in their 20 overs.
**Match Summary**
The Indian bowlers maintained their strong form throughout the tournament, quickly putting Sri Lanka under pressure. Within the first six overs, Sri Lanka found themselves struggling at 28 for 3. Sri Lanka's captain, Vimath Dinsara (32), and Chamika Heenatigala (42) then combined for a 45-run partnership, providing some stability to the innings.
Sethmika Seneviratne contributed a quick 30 off 22 balls, helping Sri Lanka reach a total of 135. For India, Kanishk Chauhan and Henil Patel each claimed two wickets.
India's chase got off to a shaky start when Ayush Mhatre was dismissed for 7 and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for 9, both falling to the bowling of pacer Rasith Nimsara. Mhatre was caught out by a short delivery, while Suryavanshi offered a leading edge while attempting to close the bat's face.
Malhotra then took control of the innings, finishing with an unbeaten 61 off 45 balls, which included two sixes and several boundaries. George provided solid support, ending with 58 not out from 49 balls, as the pair put on 114 runs together for the third wicket. India reached the target in 18 overs, securing their eighth appearance in an U19 Asia Cup final.
In the other semi-final, Pakistan also secured an eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh. This sets up the first India versus Pakistan final in the U19 Asia Cup in 11 years. India last defeated Pakistan in an Asia Cup U19 final in 2014, a team that included future stars like Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav.
