India vs Afghanistan, U19 World Cup Semifinal Highlights: Aaron George’s century helps IND beat AFG by 7 wickets, reach final
India vs Afghanistan Under 19 World Cup Semifinal: Aaron George’s ton and half-centuries from Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre helped India reach the final after defeating Afghanistan by seven wickets in the 2026 ICC U19 World Cup semifinal in Harare on Wednesday. Chasing a challenging target of 311, India secured their place in a record 10th Youth World Cup final and sixth in succession.
India will face England in their bid for a record-extending sixth title.
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Earlier, centuries from Faisal Shinozada and Uzairullah Niazai took Afghanistan to a score of 310/4 in 50 overs but Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s early carnage has made the steep chase a cruise for India. Sooryavanshi blasted 68 runs in 33 balls in a 90-run opening stand with Aaron George that came in just 57 balls. After his dismissal, captain Ayush Mhatre and George kept the scoreboard ticking quite efficiently.
Niazai and Shinozada helped Afghanistan take about 111 runs in the last 10 overs, before which they ensured that Afghanistan lost just two wickets in 40 overs. Afghanistan were as patient as a batting side can be in an ODI match as they won the toss and chose to bat first. Deepesh Devendran and Kanishk Chouhan were India’s only wicket-takers in the first 40 overs.
PLAYING XIs:
India: Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre(c), Vedant Trivedi, Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu(w), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran
Afghanistan: Osman Sadat, Khalid Ahmadzai, Faisal Shinozada, Uzairullah Niazai, Mahboob Khan(w/c), Azizullah Miakhil, Abdul Aziz, Khatir Stanikzai, Roohullah Arab, Nooristani Omarzai, Wahidullah Zadran
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Under-19 World Cup 2026: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi needs to live up to expectations in the semi-final against Afghanistan
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action. (ICC photo)
The 2026 Under-19 World Cup has been a journey of unfulfilled potential for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who entered the tournament as one of India’s most anticipated talents. Across five matches, the young left-hander has managed a string of starts—scoring 30, 52, 40, 72, and 2—proving his ability to handle elite bowling but failing to anchor a match-winning total. While his record-breaking 72 against Bangladesh showcased historical maturity for a 14-year-old, a pattern of “soft” dismissals against short-pitched pace has prevented him from delivering the singular, tournament-defining performance many expected. As India heads into the semi-finals against Afghanistan, he remains an enigma: a player possessing every tool for greatness but still searching for the discipline to turn glimpses of promise into sustained dominance. (Read more from Shankar Narayan)
