Defending champions Pakistan Under-19s will face Bangladesh Under-19s in the first semi-final of the ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup on Thursday, 12 November, at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Pakistan sealed top spot in Group A on Tuesday, 10 November, beating Nepal by 101 runs in their final group match. Batting first, Pakistan posted 275 for seven from their 50 overs before bowling Nepal out for 174. It was their third win from three group matches, giving them six points and a place in the last four.

Ahmed Hussain starred in that win, scoring 89 from 73 balls and then taking four wickets for 35 runs. Captain Farhan Yousaf added 74 as Pakistan recovered from 64 for three to set a total Nepal could not chase down.

Two recent champions meet

The semi-final pits the last two winners of the tournament against each other. Bangladesh won the U19 Asia Cup title in 2024, while Pakistan enter the knockout stage as the reigning champions.

Bangladesh finished as runners-up in Group B with two wins from three matches, securing their semi-final place on Monday, 9 November, by beating Malaysia. Pakistan began their campaign with a nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates before edging past India by three wickets in their second group match.

Pakistan finished the group stage with a net run rate of 1.186, while Bangladesh ended their group campaign with four points from three matches.

India meet unbeaten Afghanistan

The second semi-final, also on Thursday, 12 November, will be contested between India Under-19s and Afghanistan Under-19s at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground. India were the last team to qualify for the semi-finals, beating the UAE by 70 runs on Tuesday to finish as runners-up in Group A.

Afghanistan topped Group B unbeaten, winning all three of their matches with a net run rate of 3.176, including a 106-run victory over Sri Lanka. India started their campaign with a 10-wicket win over Nepal before losing narrowly to Pakistan.

The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the final at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground on Saturday, 14 November. Sources: Geo Super and CricBengal.