U-19 Asia Cup 2025: India beats Sri Lanka by eight wickets, sets up final against Pakistan

Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra’s exhilarating stroke-play was well complemented by Aaron George’s composure as India set up an Under-19 Asia Cup summit date with archrival Pakistan after crushing Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a rain-curtailed semifinal in Dubai on Friday.

After rain reduced the match to 20 overs per side, the Indian bowling unit, which has been spot on throughout the tournament, restricted Sri Lanka to 138 for eight in 20 overs.

In reply, the left-handed Malhotra (61 not out off 45 balls), who was snapped by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction, flicked and pulled with ease to hit a couple of sixes apart from muscling a few boundaries.

AS IT HAPPENED | IND U-19 vs SL U-19 Semifinal

His partner and India’s crisis man in this event, George (58 not out off 49 balls), was technically perfect with his strokes as India chased down the target in 18 overs.

India’s eighth appearance in the final was built on the unbroken 114-run stand for the third wicket between Malhotra and George.

In the other semifinal, Pakistan beat Bangladesh by eight wickets, and the bitter neighbours will meet in the continental final after a gap of 11 years.

The last time India beat Pakistan in the U-19 Asia Cup final in 2014, the team comprised Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav, to name a few.

India U-19 had an inauspicious start to its chase with teenage IPL sensations Ayush Mhatre (7) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (9) being done in by pacer Rasith Nimsara. Mhatre, who has endured a horrible tournament, was hurried into a mis-timed pull by a short ball from Nimsara.

Nimsara varied his pace for Suryavanshi, who tried to close the face of the bat but got a leading edge that ballooned.

However, Malhotra started with a flicked six off Nimsara and there was no looking back. In the case of George, an imperious drive off off-spinner Kavija Gamage showed his class.

Sri Lanka U-19 was still giving a fight till the 13th over, bowled by Dunith Sigera, when Malhotra first played a firm pull to fetch a boundary, and followed it up with a drive through extra cover and then another front-foot pull that landed on the grass banks.

Opting to field, India Colts’ bowling unit did well to reduce Sri Lanka to 28 for three within the first six overs before skipper Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42) added 45 in the next six overs to stabilise the innings.

However, it was Sethmika Seneviratne’s cameo—a 22-ball-30—that took Sri Lanka past the 135-run mark. For India, spinner Kanishk Chauhan and right-arm medium pacer Henil Patel took two wickets apiece.

Published on Dec 19, 2025