In a thrilling Super Six clash on Sunday, young all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan led India to a commanding 58-run victory over their long-time rivals, Pakistan, securing a spot in the semifinals of the ICC U-19 World Cup.
India will face Afghanistan in the next round, while England and Australia will compete in the other semifinal match.
Kanishk showcased his skills with a rapid 35 runs off just 29 balls, forming a crucial 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket alongside Khilan Patel, who scored 21 not out off 15 deliveries. This effort helped propel India to a respectable total of 252 runs in 49.5 overs.
For Pakistan to advance based on their superior run rate, they needed to chase down 253 runs in 33.3 overs. However, their batting lineup faltered, managing only 167 runs for 4 wickets in the same number of overs before being bowled out for 194 in 46.2 overs.
Kanishk also made significant contributions with the ball, stifling the Pakistani batsmen with impressive figures of 1 for 30 in 10 overs, which included an impressive 40 dot balls. The spin duo of Khilan Patel (3-35 in 9.2 overs) and captain Ayush Mhatre (3-21 in 8 overs) effectively controlled the game during the middle overs.
Pakistan’s Asia Cup star Sameer Minhas fell victim to Henil Patel’s off-cutter.
Captain Mhatre praised his team’s performance, saying, “We had a strong start, but the ball started spinning in the middle overs. Kanishk batted brilliantly, and Vedant was performing well in the nets, which gave me confidence. The boys all contributed. Pakistan batted decently for the first 25 overs, but our spinners excelled afterward. We’re focused on one match at a time and aim to win the semifinals.”
Earlier, Kanishk and Khilan’s partnership provided a crucial late-game boost after Vedant Trivedi set the stage with a solid 68 runs off 98 balls. Opening batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (30 off 22 balls) started aggressively but was dismissed while attempting a second pull shot after receiving a reprieve from left-arm seamer Mohammad Sayyam (2-69).
This victory marks India’s sixth consecutive appearance in the semifinals of the ICC U-19 World Cup.
Brief Scores:
India 252 all out in 49.5 overs (V. Trivedi 68; A. Subhan 3-33, M. Sayyam 2-69) defeated Pakistan 194 all out in 46.2 overs (U. Khan 66; A. Mhatre 3-21, K. Patel 3-35) by 58 runs.