India beat Sri Lanka to set up U19 Asia Cup final with Pakistan

Saturday, 20 December 2025 00:21 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George’s patient half-centuries helped India beat Sri Lanka in a rain-reduced game and set up a U-19 Asia Cup final with Pakistan.

It was a game where the momentum kept changing hands. India had Sri Lanka at 28-3 after opting to bowl first in the first semi-final played at Dubai yesterday.

Captain Vimath Dinsara and Chamika Heenatigala hit back with a 45-run stand, but Sri Lanka soon lost 3 for 11. A 62-run stand between Heenatigala and Sethmika Seneviratne followed, but India again turned it around in the final three overs.

In reply, India were 25-2 as Sri Lanka sniffed a comeback. But Malhotra and George added an unbeaten 114 runs in a partnership of two halves: the first 62 runs they added took 51 balls, while the next 52 came off 36 deliveries. It was Malhotra who swung the game India’s way when he went 4, 4, 6 off Dulnith Sigera in the 13th over. Malhotra reached his fifty off 35 balls, while George took 43 balls.

India’s win was set up after their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 138. Kishan Singh and Deepesh Devendran struck early, while Vedant Trivedi’s direct hit ran Kavija Gamage out in the sixth over.

But Kanishk Chouhan struck twice in the 12th over, and Khilan Patel in the 13th, to force Sri Lanka to rebuild again. That brought Heenatigala and Seneviratne together. Seneviratne was the attacking of the two while Heenatigala, limping a little, was more patient. At 118-6 with three overs left, and with Seneviratne connecting it cleanly, Sri Lanka may have hoped to post 150. But just 20 runs amid two wickets in the last three overs applied the brakes on their scoring.

Pakistan (122-2) beat Bangladesh (121) by 8 wickets in the second semi-final. India will meet Pakistan in the final on Sunday.

Scores: Sri Lanka (U19) 138-8 (20) (Vimath Dinsara 32, Chamika Heenatigala 42, Sethmika Seneviratne 30, Henil Patel 2/31, Kanishk Chauhan 2/36)

India (U19) 139-2 (18) (Aaron George 58*, Vihaan Malhotra 61*, Rasith Nimsara 2/31)