The historic Harare Sports Club is ready for a crucial match as five-time champions India U19 take on Afghanistan U19 in the second semi-final of the ICC Under 19 World Cup 2026.
India aims for its sixth consecutive final, while Afghanistan looks to make history by reaching their first U19 World Cup final.
India has performed well in the tournament, reaching the semi-finals with an unbeaten record. They topped Group 2 in the Super Six stage, highlighted by a 58-run win over Pakistan. The team’s strength is its balanced lineup, with players like Kanishk Chouhan and captain Ayush Mhatre consistently making significant contributions. Abhigyan Kundu has been a key batter, scoring 199 runs, and Henil Patel leads the bowling attack with 11 wickets.
Afghanistan secured their semi-final spot by finishing second in Group 1. They rebounded from a loss to Sri Lanka to defeat Ireland by 191 runs. The team’s strength lies in its powerful top-order batting, with Faisal Shinozada in excellent form, scoring a record 163 against Ireland. Known for their spin, Afghanistan has also shown strength in pace bowling this year, led by Nooristani Omarzai with 12 wickets.
IND vs AFG, U19 World Cup 2026 semi-final 2: Match Details
- Date and Time: February 4; 1:00 pm IST / 9:30 am Local time / 7:30 am GMT
- Venue: Harare Sports Club, Harare
IND vs AFG, Head-to-Head Record in U19s
Matches played: 12 | India won: 10 | Afghanistan won: 2 | No result/Tied: 0
Harare Sports Club Pitch Report
The pitch at Harare Sports Club is expected to be slow and dry, typically favoring spinners while providing some movement for pace bowlers with the new ball. Batters can score well after getting used to the conditions, but middle overs may be challenging. The average first-innings score is likely to be between 240 and 260, and the toss will be important, especially with possible rain in the forecast.
Squads
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, D. Deepesh, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan A. Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi
Afghanistan: Mahboob Khan (c), Khalid Ahmadzai, Osman Sadat, Faisal Khan, Uzairullah Niazai, Aziz Mia Khil, Nazif Amiri, Khatir Stanikzai, Nooristani, Abdul Aziz, Salam Khan, Wahid Zadran, Zaitullah Shaheen, Rohullah Arab, Aqil Khan Obaid. Reserves: Aqil Khan, Fahim Qasemi, Izat Noor
IND vs AFG, U19 World Cup 2026 semi-final 2: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- India wins the toss and fields first
- Afghanistan powerplay score: 40-50
- Afghanistan total score: 250-260
Case 2:
- Afghanistan wins the toss and fields first
- India powerplay score: 50-60
- India total score: 295-305
Match result: India to win the contest.
