U19 Asia Cup: India Beat Sri Lanka by Eight Wickets to Reach Final Against Pakistan
Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George score unbeaten half-centuries as India chase 139 in 18 overs in rain-hit semi-final
New Delhi, Dec 20: Unbeaten half-centuries from Vihaan Malhotra (61)* and Aaron George (58)* powered India U19 to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka U19 in a rain-affected Asia Cup 2025 semi-final, setting up a high-voltage final against Pakistan U19 on Sunday.
Rain reduced the ICC Academy semi-final to 20 overs per side, and India’s disciplined bowling restricted Sri Lanka to 138/8. Kanishk Chouhan and Henil Patel claimed two wickets each, while Sri Lanka struggled early at 28/3 in the sixth over. Skipper Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42) briefly steadied the innings with a 45-run partnership, followed by a late surge from Sethmika Seneviratne (30 off 22 balls) to cross 135.
India’s chase began shakily with skipper Ayush Mhatre (7) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (9) dismissed by pacer Rasith Nimsara. However, Malhotra and George steadied the innings with an unbroken 114-run partnership for the third wicket, guiding India home in 18 overs. Malhotra, recently picked by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for IPL 2026, struck six boundaries, while George hit five boundaries in his technically assured knock.
This win marks India’s eighth appearance in the U19 Asia Cup final and sets up a blockbuster clash against Pakistan, who defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets in the other semi-final. It will be the first India-Pakistan U19 final since 2014, when India, featuring players like Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Sarfaraz Khan, and Kuldeep Yadav, clinched the title.
Brief Scores:
Sri Lanka U19: 138/8 in 20 overs (Chamika Heenatigala 42, Sethmika Seneviratne 30; 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 8 wickets
