Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra’s fluent stroke-play, combined with Aaron George’s calm presence, powered India Under-19 into the final of the U-19 Asia Cup after an emphatic eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a rain-curtailed semi-final on Friday.
With rain reducing the contest to 20 overs per side, India’s disciplined bowling attack once again set the tone, restricting Sri Lanka to 138 for 8. The target proved well within reach for the Indian batters, who chased it down with ease.
India seal final berth in the U-19 Asia Cup final
In reply, left-hander Malhotra remained unbeaten on 61 off 45 balls, showcasing his class with effortless flicks and pulls. Recently snapped up by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the IPL mini-auction, Malhotra struck two sixes and several well-timed boundaries to anchor the chase.
At the other end, George, India’s crisis man throughout the tournament, played a composed knock of 58 not out from 49 deliveries. Technically sound and assured, he rotated the strike effectively and punished loose deliveries, ensuring there were no further hiccups.
The pair stitched together an unbroken 114-run partnership for the third wicket, steering India to their eighth appearance in the U-19 Asia Cup final, with the chase completed in just 18 overs.
Earlier, India endured a shaky start as teenage IPL sensations Ayush Mhatre (7) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (9) were dismissed by pacer Rasith Nimsara. Mhatre mistimed a pull off a sharp short ball, while Suryavanshi fell to a clever change of pace that induced a leading edge.
Malhotra counter-attacked immediately, flicking Nimsara for a six to shift the momentum. George followed with an authoritative drive off off-spinner Kavija Gamage, underlining his confidence.
Sri Lanka continued to compete until the 13th over, but Malhotra put the result beyond doubt with a sequence of boundaries—pulling, driving through extra cover, and executing another front-foot pull that sailed to the grass banks.
Earlier, after opting to field, India’s bowlers made early inroads, reducing Sri Lanka to 28 for 3 inside the first six overs. Captain Vimath Dinsara (32) and Chamika Heenatigala (42) steadied the innings with a 45-run stand.
A late cameo from Sethmika Seneviratne, who struck 30 off 22 balls, pushed Sri Lanka past the 135-run mark. For India, spinners Kanishk Chauhan and Henil Patel picked up two wickets each.
In the other semi-final, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by eight wickets, setting up a much-anticipated India–Pakistan final after an 11-year gap. The last time the two sides met in a U-19 Asia Cup final in 2014, India emerged victorious with a squad featuring the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav.
(By PTI Inputs)
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