Lakshya Raichandani’s 93 powers India Under-19s with an eight-wicket semi-final win over Afghanistan to set up a blockbuster final against Pakistan

India beat Afghanistan (Image: ANI) India Under-19 booked their place in the final of the 2026 ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup with a convincing eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in the semi-final 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. An emphatic win helped India seal their place in the final with 79 balls to spare.

Afghanistan are losing steam after a promising start

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Afghanistan got off to a steady start and looked 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, the Indian 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 scored 51 but struggled to pick up pace against India’s disciplined bowling attack. Captain Sohail Khan remained unbeaten on 36 off 44 deliveries to help 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 score in check.

Raichandani, Sehwag and Vineeth fuel India’s chase

India’s response was built on an impressive opening partnership between Raichandani and Sehwag. The Indian skipper took an attacking approach from the start and regularly found boundaries, especially through the offside, while Sehwag provided stability at the other end.The pair added 117 runs for the opening wicket before Sehwag departed shortly after completing his half-century. His 51 off 57 balls provided the perfect platform for India’s chase.Raichandani continued to dominate the Afghan bowlers and was joined by Vineeth who alternated the strike effectively while taking advantage of scoring opportunities. The Indian skipper eventually fell for 93 off 90 deliveries, missing out on a well-deserved century by just seven runs.Vineeth ensured there were no more setbacks, closing in on 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 has prepared the final clash against Pakistan

The win sets up a high-stakes India-Pakistan final on Saturday, giving the defending champions an opportunity to avenge their title defeat in the previous edition, where Pakistan emerged victorious.Quick Score:

• Afghanistan U19: 227/8 in 50 overs (Noman Salarzai 51, Shah Faisal Rahimi 51; Ishan Sood 3/43, Aryan Savsani 2/29)
• India U19: 230/2 in 36.5 overs (Lakshya Raichandani 93, VK Vineeth 57*; Sohail Khan 1/56, Noor Ali Niazi 1/58)

Result: India U19 won by eight wickets.