India booked their spot in the semi-final of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, after Pakistan failed to chase down 253 inside 33.4 overs in their Super Six clash.
India will face Afghanistan in the semi-final at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Feburary 4.
India Beat Pakistan
Young Kanishk Chouhan showcased his all-round skills as India convincingly defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 58 runs in a Super Six match to secure a semifinal spot in the ICC U-19 World Cup on Sunday.
India will now face Afghanistan in the semifinal, while England will compete against Australia in the other semifinal match.
All-rounder Kanishk played a key role, scoring a quickfire 35 off 29 balls and contributing to a 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Khilan Patel
(21 not out off 15 balls), helping India U-19 reach a respectable total of 252 in 49.5 overs.
Pakistan needed to score 253 in 33.3 overs to qualify for the semifinals based on a better run-rate. However, their batters appeared disinterested in chasing the target, managing only 167 for 4 in 33.3 overs before being bowled out for 194 in 46.2 overs.
In the bowling department, Kanishk was instrumental in halting Pakistan’s progress, delivering figures of 1 for 30 in 10 overs, which included 40 dot balls.
With the pitch favouring spinners, left-arm spinner Khilan Patel (3/35 in 9.2 overs) and skipper Ayush Mhatre (3/23 in 8 overs) effectively restricted Pakistan’s scoring in the middle overs.
Pakistan’s Asia Cup hero Sameer Minhas was dismissed by a Henil Patel off-cutter, and the rest of the batters exhibited a surprisingly defensive mindset.
Earlier in the match, Kanishk and Khilan added 50 runs in just 5.1 overs to provide a final flourish, building on Vedant’s steady 68 off 98 balls, which had laid the foundation.
India, after being put into bat, saw Vaibhav Suryavanshi (30 off 22 balls) start aggressively. Despite being given a chance off left-arm seamer Mohammad Sayyam’s (2/69) bowling, he was dismissed attempting a second consecutive pull shot.
Skipper Ayush Mhatre (0) continued his poor form in Youth ODIs with a first-ball duck, while Aaron George was bowled by a superb delivery from Abdul Subhan (3/33), which pitched on middle and moved slightly to hit the off-stump.
Subhan’s full and straight deliveries, combined with his height, created awkward bounce, troubling the Indian batters.
From 47 for no loss, India was reduced to 47 for 3. Left-handed Vihaan Malhotra (21) then joined Vedant, and they consolidated the innings with a 62-run partnership.
However, the top-order batters, including Vedant, struggled to accelerate the scoring due to the slow nature of the pitch.
Vedant’s innings ended after he scored 68 from 98 balls, hitting two fours and a six, before being dismissed by a full-toss from left-arm wrist spinner Momin Qamar.
Khilan and Kanishk took calculated risks at the right moment, ensuring India reached a competitive total.
As has become customary, players did not shake hands after the match.
(With inputs from Agencies)
