India squashes Afghanistan, to meet Pakistan in Under-19 Asia Cup final

The Lakshya Raichandani led-side will face arch-rival Pakistan in the summit clash on Saturday. | Photo Credit: BCCI/X

India advanced to the final after defeating Afghanistan by eight wickets in the semifinal of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Muscat on Sunday.

The Lakshya Raichandani led-side will face arch-rival Pakistan in the summit clash on Saturday.

It was a complete performance by the Men in Blue, outplaying their opponent in all three departments. In the first innings, Afghanistan, after choosing to bat, managed to score 227/8.

Noman Salarzai (51 off 78 balls) and Shah Faisal Rahimi (51 off 72 balls) scored fifties, while Ishan Sood took a three-wicket haul (3/43). India’s bowlers were controlled with their line and lengths, making run-scoring difficult.

AS IT HAPPENED | IND U-19 vs AFG U-19 Highlights

In the chase, India killed the contest early with a 100-plus run opening partnership. Raichandani, who was dismissed cheaply in the previous two games, rediscovered his form with a 90-ball 93.

At the other end, Aaryavir Sehwag, who came into the match on the back of a matchwinning 160, continued his run-scoring spree with yet another half-century (51 off 57 balls).

Once the openers fell, VK Vineeth (57* off 62 balls) and Yashbardhan Singh Chauhan (16 off 14 balls) completed the chase with 13.1 overs to spare.