Daijiworld Media Network - Harare

Harare, Feb 4: India will take on Afghanistan in the second semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday, February 4, at the Harare Sports Club in Harare.

Led by Ayush Mhatre, India have enjoyed a flawless run so far, winning all their matches in the tournament and entering the knockouts with strong momentum.

India opened their campaign with a six-wicket win over the USA, followed by a thrilling 18-run victory against Bangladesh. They topped Group B after defeating New Zealand by seven wickets.

The winning streak continued in the Super Six stage, where India hammered hosts Zimbabwe and arch-rivals Pakistan to secure their semi-final spot.

Afghanistan, led by Mahboob Khan, have also been impressive. They began with a 28-run win over South Africa and then registered commanding victories against West Indies and Tanzania, finishing on top of Group D.

In the Super Six stage, Afghanistan suffered a four-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, but bounced back in emphatic fashion with a massive 191-run win over Ireland.

While India have been invincible, Afghanistan are known for punching above their weight, and the contest is expected to be a high-pressure battle with a place in the final at stake.
Abhigyan Kundu (India)

The 17-year-old is India’s leading run-getter in the tournament so far, scoring 199 runs in four innings at an average of 66.33, including two fifties. Kundu has delivered under pressure and will be key in the knockout clash.

Henil Patel (India)

The speedster has impressed with his raw pace, picking up 11 wickets in five innings. He is expected to play a major role with the ball in the semi-final.

Faisal Shinowzada (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan’s batting mainstay, Shinowzada is the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament, with 325 runs in five innings, including one century and two fifties.

Nooristani Omarzai (Afghanistan)

The right-arm seamer is Afghanistan’s leading wicket-taker with 12 wickets in five innings. He could be lethal with the new ball against India’s opening pair of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre.

A total of 11 matches have been played at the venue so far in the tournament, with six won by teams batting second.

• Average first-innings score: 233

• Highest successful chase: 237

With these numbers, the captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first in this crucial encounter.

The India U-19 vs Afghanistan U-19 semi-final will be streamed live on JioHotstar, while the Star Sports Network will provide live broadcast coverage.

India Predicted XI

Aaron George, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Vedant Trivedi, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Deepesh Devendran

Afghanistan Predicted XI

Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Shinowzada, Uzairullah Niazai, Mahboob Khan (c) (wk), Azizullah Miakhil, Nooristani Omarzai, Abdul Aziz, Roohullah Arab, Wahidullah Zadran, Aqil Khan