Lakshya Raichandani’s 93 powers India into U19 Asia Cup final, sets up title clash vs Pakistan
New Delhi: India stormed into the ACC U19 Asia Cup final after defeating Afghanistan by eight wickets in the second semifinal at Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 2) on Thursday, November 12. Captain Lakshya Raichandani scored 93 runs as the Indian side booked a title showdown against arch-rivals Pakistan.
India’s bowlers first laid the foundation for the victory by restricting Afghanistan to 227/8 in 50 overs. The target proved relatively comfortable for India, who chased it down in just 36.5 overs, finishing at 230/2.
Captain Lakshya Raichandani is the Player of the Match for his 93(90) in the chase 🫡
India U19 enter the Final with a convincing 8️⃣-wicket victory 👏
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/mssnDLDhTk
#MensU19AsiaCup https://t.co/beI3GFvtE8
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 12, 2026
Raichandani, Vineeth lead India’s comfortable chase
Raichandani smashed an impressive 90-ball 93, which included 13 boundaries and a maximum. The right-handed batter started aggressively, completing his half-century in just 39 deliveries before shifting gears to guide India closer to the target.
He forged a 117-run opening partnership with , who scored 51 off 57 balls, including three sixes. After Sehwag’s dismissal, Raichandani stitched another 77-run partnership with VK Vineeth for the second wicket. Vineeth remained unbeaten on 57, bringing up his half-century in 61 deliveries. He eventually ended the match in style, striking Noor Ali for a boundary and a six off consecutive deliveries.
Raichandani, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on a hundred after trying to take on off-spinner Sohail Khan. He played a lofted shot towards extra cover that lacked the required elevation, allowing Mohammad Ali to complete a diving catch.
Earlier, the Indian bowlers did a brilliant job of restricting Afghanistan to 227/8 in 50 overs. Pacer Ishan Sood finished with figures of 3/43, while the spinners tightened the grip during the middle overs.
Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Noman Salarzai and Shah Faisal Rahimi scored 51 runs each, but neither could take the innings deep enough to push their team towards a bigger total. In the other semifinal, Pakistan defeated Bangladesh by nine wickets to secure their place in the final.
The two teams had previously met in the group stage, where . The Boys in Blue will now have an opportunity to settle scores when the two sides meet in the tournament’s title clash on Saturday, November 14.