Published: February 4, 2026 at 10:07 pm
Aaron George struck a sparkling century to help India rewrite the record books by successfully hunting down the highest target in Under-19 World Cup history to secure their spot in the final against England.
The five-time champions marched into the final in dominant fashion, while Afghanistan’s campaign ends in heartbreak. However, Afghanistan can hold their heads high. They’ve played some splendid cricket, providing many moments for these youngsters to cherish in the years to come. Take a bow, Afghanistan.
Replying to Afghanistan’s competitive score of 310 for four, India went on the rampage to reach 311 for three with 9.5 overs or 53 balls remaining. The 621 runs scored in the semifinal is the highest match aggregate in YODIs.
Aaron was the cynosure of all as he stood tall and delivered when it mattered most. The Hyderabad player was all style and class and barring a dropped chance, he looked untroubled in the chase. “I was very grateful for the opportunity, especially in such a crucial game for the team. I’m happy I could contribute. I knew I was batting well, so the conversion definitely mattered. I’m glad I trusted the process and kept believing in my game. Everyone played to their full potential, and I’m very happy to see our top order doing so well. We are looking forward to the big final,” said Player of the Match Aaron.
Before the Indian batters came to bat, the target looked massive, but opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi rode the Afghan horses in style. The right-handed bat smashed nine fours and four sixes in his 33-ball 68 which laid the foundation on which Aaron George, skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vihaan Malhotra built on.
Niazai dropped Vaibhav at the backward point when he was on 22, and that mistake proved incredibly costly; the young prodigy went on to reach his fifty in just 24 balls. George was also handed a life when Zadran put down a dolly at mid-on on 20 runs. Both drops proved to be costly later on.
Vaibhav and Aaron shared a 90-run partnership with Vaibhav doing the most damage. Aaron and Ayush then strung a 114-run partnership for the second wicket before Ayush fell for a 59-ball 62 with five fours and four sixes.
Hyderabad’s Aaron then combined forces with Vihaan Malhotra to take India to 300 with a 96-run partnership to seal the issue. Aaron finally fell after making a 104-ball 115 with 15 hits to the fence and two over it. Vihaan remained unbeaten on 38 (47 balls, 3×4).
Aaron anchored the chase in style. Though he had not scored many runs prior to this game, Aaron was just a knock away from getting back into the groove. And what better time to choose to roar back into form than a high-scoring semifinal match. The player was all style and grace as his boundaries were a delight to watch for a purist.
“Afghanistan started very well with the bat, and while our bowlers did well in the middle overs, they really got away from us in the final ten. Our discussion was simple: just play our natural game. The wicket was playing beautifully, a real flat wicket, so we knew if we played naturally, it would be a manageable total,” said India skipper Mhatre.
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On Vaibhav’s knock, he said: “He played a major role in the chase. Scoring 90 runs in the first 10 overs released all the pressure, making it much easier for the rest of us to build the innings.”
Aaron is a classy, fabulous batter, says skipper Mhatre
“He is a classy, fabulous batsman. He didn’t have many big scores leading into this, but he was always batting well in the nets. We were confident that if he played his natural game, he would come good. He anchored the innings perfectly,” Mhatre said about Aaron.
Earlier, Faisal Shinozada and Uzairullah Niazai slammed centuries to help Afghanistan post a challenging total. Faisal and Niazai were involved in a 148-run partnership for the third wicket. Faisal made 110 off 93 balls with 15 fours and Niazai remained unbeaten on 101 off 86 balls with 12 fours and two sixes.
“It was a very good total, but we missed two catches in the first powerplay. The bowlers did not hit their lengths, and that is why we lost the match. The batting today was very good. To get 310 is a very big total, but today was just a bad day for us because we lost the match. Faisal is a very good player and the best scorer in the tournament. Niazai also batted well. Inshallah, Faisal is a future star; he works very hard and will be a big part of the future of cricket. The wicket was good for batting in the morning and stayed good in the second innings. The total was big for the bowlers to defend, but today was just part of the game,” said Afghanistan skipper Mahboob Khan.
Brief scores: Afghanistan 310/4 in 50 overs (Faisal Shinozada 110, Uzairullah Niazai 101; Kanishk Chouhan 2/55, Deepesh Devendran 264) lost to India 311/3 in 41.1 overs (Aaron George 115, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 68, Ayush Mhatre 62, Vihaan Malhotra 38 not out; Omarzai 2/64).
