India Under-19 marched into the ICC U-19 World Cup 2026 semi-finals with authority, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by 58 runs in a high-pressure Super Six clash in Bulawayo to finish unbeaten and top Group 2.
After grinding their way to a competitive 252 in 49.5 overs on a slow surface, the Ayush Mhatre-led side delivered a clinical bowling display to bundle Pakistan out for 194, sealing a comprehensive victory and underlining their championship credentials heading into the knockouts.
India’s innings was built on resilience rather than flair after early blows reduced them to 47 for 3, but Vedant Trivedi’s composed 68 steadied the ship with smart partnerships through the middle, before Kanishk Chouhan (35 off 29) and Khilan Patel (21 off 15) launched a late surge that produced 71 crucial runs in the final ten overs to push the total past 250.
Victory alone wasn’t enough for Pakistan, as they needed to hunt down 253 inside 33.4 overs to edge past India on net run rate, a chase that demanded urgency they never quite found. Despite fighting knocks from Usman Khan (66), Hamza Zahoor (42) and Farhan Yousuf (38), the scoring rate never matched the equation as India’s bowlers tightened the screws, with Chouhan conceding just 30 in his 10 overs and Mhatre striking three key blows.
With both bat and ball firing in tandem, India now carry strong momentum into the semi-finals where they face Afghanistan in Harare, while Australia meet England in the other last-four clash, as the young colts continue their confident charge toward another world title.
