Afghanistan captain Sohail Khan won the toss and opted to bat first against India in the second Under-19 Asia Cup semifinal on Thursday at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 2) in Oman. The match, which began at 10:30 a.m. IST, carries a place in the tournament final as the primary stake.
The winner of this semifinal will advance to the tournament final scheduled for Saturday. This contest is part of the ACC Men’s U-19 Asia Cup, and the two squads are competing for a spot against either Pakistan or Bangladesh, who faced off in the first semifinal.
Faisal Mubariz steps up for the Afghanistan Future Stars and brings up a fine half-century in the ongoing semi-final match against India U19s. đź‘Ź#AFGU19vINDU19 | #U19AsiaCup2026 pic.twitter.com/0InDhVoYce
Before this encounter, India and Afghanistan had met 13 times at the U-19 level, with the Indian side holding an 11-2 record. Most recently, the two teams met at the 2026 U-19 World Cup semifinal, where India secured a seven-wicket victory.
Toss and Team Selections
Captains from both sides expressed a preference for batting on the Oman surface before the match got underway. Afghanistan skipper Sohail Khan explained his decision to bat, stating, “Because the wicket looks good for batting. 270 runs is very good for us. Bilal Salimankhil is playing and Abdullah Hamdard is not playing today.”
🚨 PLAYING XI 🚨 Here’s our #FutureStars’ lineup for their Semi-Final clash at the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup 2026 against India U19. 👍#AFGU19vINDU19 | #U19AsiaCup2026 pic.twitter.com/j9SrPnyf1K
“Yeah, we were looking to bat first as well. The wicket is good….definitely 200-220. The morale is good and everyone is looking forward to this game,” said Raichandani. India enters the match with an unchanged playing XI, featuring Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani, Aaryavir Sehwag, VK Vineeth, Arjun Rajput, Yashbardhan Chauhan, Anvay Dravid, Manal Chauhan, Mohit Ulva, Aryan Savsani, Kavya Patel, and Ishan Sood.
Tournament Path and Key Performers
Their campaign has been defined by a well-rounded attack, led by standout bowler Noor Ali Niazai, who has claimed 13 wickets for 71 runs. Amir Hamza has also contributed five wickets to the side’s efforts.
On the batting front, Faisal Rahimi and Subhan Zakhail have carried the load, with Zakhail notably scoring 107 off 111 balls against Sri Lanka. During the match, however, Zakhail fell for 31 runs off 44 balls after being bowled by Yashbardhan Chauhan.
India finished second in Group A. After an opening 10-wicket thrashing of Nepal, the team suffered a defeat to Pakistan. They rebounded to beat the UAE, a match headlined by Aaryavir Sehwag’s majestic 160 runs off 168 balls.
Sehwag, the son of former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, has tallied 252 runs in three innings. Medium-pacer Ishan Sood has taken eight wickets for the Indian bowling unit, while left-arm spinner Manal Chauhan has taken five.
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