England secured their third semifinal spot in the U19 World Cup 2026 by beating New Zealand by 65 runs. Earlier, Afghanistan and Australia had already made it through, leaving India and Pakistan competing for the last remaining spot.
India is currently at the top of their group, having won all three of their matches. Pakistan has one loss against England. The team led by Ayush Mhatre has shown good form, but the upcoming match against Pakistan will bring its own challenges. The pressure of the match environment makes it hard to predict the outcome.
Sameer Minhas is showcasing impressive scoring, with an average of 94. He was a key player in the U19 Asia Cup final when Pakistan defeated India, scoring a memorable century. Despite lacking batting stability, Pakistan’s bowlers have been strong recently.
Ali Raza has taken 12 wickets in four matches, making him a tough opponent. Abdul Subhan has collected 10 wickets, and Momin Qamar has added eight. For India, Abhigyan Kundu is scoring at an average of 91. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has a strike rate of 133 and can break through strong bowling attacks. Vihaan Malhotra comes into this match after scoring a century against New Zealand.
This match acts as a virtual quarterfinal for both teams. However, Mhatre and his team remain optimistic. India is likely to advance to the semifinals, as their net run rate of +3.337 is higher than Pakistan’s 1.484.
For Pakistan to qualify, they need to win over India by a margin of 200 runs. The reaction on social media will be significant if India does not secure their sixth U19 World Cup title.
