India Under-19 cricket team sealed its place at the top of its Super Sixes group and booked a semifinal berth at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 with a convincing 58-run victory over archrival Pakistan Under-19 cricket team at the Queens Sports Club on Sunday.

With Net Run Rate heavily stacked in India’s favour, Pakistan needed not only a win but a substantial margin to leapfrog its opponent. After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to field, sending Ayush Mhatre’s side in to bat under pressure. India began positively through Aaron George and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but momentum shifted dramatically in a stunning burst of bowling. Mohammad Sayyam and Abdul Subhan ripped through the top order, removing George, Suryavanshi, and skipper Mhatre in a remarkable spell that saw India lose three wickets in just four balls.

At a precarious stage, India found stability through Vedant Trivedi. The right-hander, who had struggled for runs earlier in the tournament, played a composed and mature innings to anchor the recovery. Trivedi stitched together vital partnerships with Vihaan Malhotra, Abhigyan Kundu, and RS Ambrish. While none of his partners went on to register big individual scores, their collective resistance helped India rebuild and regain control of the innings.

Late contributions proved crucial as Kanishk Chouhan and Khilan Patel added quick runs down the order. Their useful cameos ensured India crossed the 250-mark, finishing on a competitive total of 252, a score that kept Pakistan under constant pressure given the Net Run Rate equation.

Pakistan’s chase required the target to be reached within 33.3 overs to stay alive in the tournament. That plan suffered an early setback when Henil Patel dismissed star batter Sameer Minhas for nine. Despite the urgency, Pakistan’s approach appeared oddly conservative. Usman Khan top-scored with a half-century, while Hamza Zahoor and Farhan Yousaf made steady contributions, but the run rate never matched the requirement.

By the 33.3-over mark, Pakistan was still nearly 100 runs short. Chouhan impressed with the ball, returning figures of one for 30 from his full quota, while Mhatre chipped in with three wickets. After Usman fell, Pakistan collapsed sharply, sliding from 159 for four to being bowled out, confirming a 58-run defeat.

The result not only sealed India’s semifinal place but also ended Pakistan’s campaign, capping a dominant Super Sixes performance by the Indian side.