Aaryavir Sehwag smashed 160 off 168 balls as India beat UAE by 70 runs to reach the U19 Asia Cup semi-finals, where they will face Afghanistan

New Delhi: Aaryavir Sehwag scored a magnificent 160 off 168 balls as India Under-19 defeated the United Arab Emirates by 70 runs to secure a place in the semi-finals of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026. The 19-year-old opener struck his maiden Youth ODI hundred at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on November 10, helping India post 309/7 in 50 overs. UAE fought through their innings but managed only 239 before India bowled them out on the final ball. India will now face Afghanistan in the semi-final on Thursday, November 12.

UAE won the toss and elected to bowl, giving India’s batters the first opportunity to set a target. Aaryavir made the most of that opportunity and held India’s innings together with a knock that combined patience, control and attacking strokes. His 160 included 17 fours and seven sixes, and he gave India the platform to reach a competitive total.

The innings also marked an important individual milestone for the young opener. A Youth ODI refers to a one-day international played between Under-19 teams. Aaryavir had already shown promise in the tournament, but this performance gave him his first century in the format.

How the innings grew: 131 balls for the hundred, then a burst

Aaryavir did not rush his innings in the early overs. India reached 42 without losing a wicket after the first 10 overs, and he took time to understand the conditions before increasing his scoring rate.

He reached his half-century from 69 deliveries and needed another 62 balls to complete his hundred. His century came off 131 balls, reflecting the patience he showed while building his innings.

However, Aaryavir changed gears after reaching three figures. He scored his next 60 runs from just 37 deliveries, adding greater urgency to India’s innings. His ability to accelerate after spending considerable time at the crease gave India a strong finish to the middle phase.

Aaryavir eventually fell for 160 in the 45th over, with India on 255. UAE captain Uddish Suri took the catch off Naseem Khan, who finished with four wickets for 48 runs. The dismissal ended a memorable innings, but Aaryavir had already done much of the work for India.

The 193-run stand with VK Vineeth

Aaryavir also found an excellent partner in VK Vineeth, who helped him build India’s biggest partnership of the innings. The pair added 193 runs for the second wicket, giving India control after the opening partnership ended at 62.

A second-wicket stand means the runs two batters score together after the team loses its first wicket. Vineeth contributed 67 from 69 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes. He supported Aaryavir’s steady approach and kept the scoreboard moving at the other end.

Their partnership took India from 62/1 to 255/2. Both batters eventually fell to Naseem Khan, but their contribution gave the middle order enough room to push the total beyond 300.

UAE’s chase and Ishan Sood

UAE needed 310 runs to win, but India’s bowlers kept the chase under control. The hosts reached 239 before India took the final wicket on the last ball of the 50th over.

Ishan Sood led India’s bowling effort with four wickets for 37 runs. His spell played an important role in restricting UAE and ensuring that Aaryavir’s batting effort resulted in a comfortable victory.

Naseem Khan also impressed for UAE with the ball, taking four wickets for 48 runs during India’s innings. His spell included the important wickets of Aaryavir and Vineeth. However, UAE could not produce a similar collective performance with the bat.

His group-stage run

Aaryavir’s century against UAE continued an impressive campaign in the tournament. He began with an unbeaten 70 off 52 balls against Nepal as India completed a 10-wicket victory while chasing 129.

He then scored 22 off 40 balls against Pakistan. India lost that match by three wickets after posting 208, but the defeat did not end their qualification hopes.

Against UAE, his 160 took his tournament tally to 252 runs from three innings. He finished the group stage with an average of 126, along with 25 fours and 12 sixes.

India won two of their three Group A matches and finished second behind Pakistan. Pakistan topped the group with three victories, while India’s wins against Nepal and UAE secured their semi-final qualification.

Records and what they mean

Aaryavir’s 160 also placed him among India’s highest individual scorers in Youth ODIs. He joined Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal, who had also scored 160 in the format.

However, he still has some distance to cover before reaching the Indian record. Ambati Rayudu holds the highest individual Youth ODI score by an Indian, with an unbeaten 177. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi follows with 175, while Raj Bawa has scored an unbeaten 162.

Aaryavir’s 160 therefore puts him in a tie for fifth place on the Indian list. It represents a significant achievement for a batter who has only recently started his international age-group career.

A different style from his famous father

One interesting aspect of Aaryavir’s innings was his approach at the crease. His father, former India opener Virender Sehwag, built his reputation on attacking bowlers from the beginning. Aaryavir took a different route against UAE, choosing patience before increasing his scoring rate.

As Gulf News noted, the youngster started cautiously and took 131 balls to reach his hundred. He then accelerated to score another 60 runs from 37 deliveries. His final strike rate of 95.24 means he scored approximately 95 runs for every 100 balls he faced.

The innings showed that Aaryavir can build a long innings without losing his ability to attack. At 19, he has time to develop his own batting identity. He has also taken on leadership responsibilities, having captained Delhi’s Under-19 team in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.

Next up: Afghanistan

India will face Afghanistan in the second semi-final of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup on Thursday, November 12, at Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

Afghanistan enter the contest after winning all three of their group matches. Their campaign included a convincing 125-run victory over Sri Lanka, which confirmed their place in the last four.

Aaryavir’s form will give India an important batting option heading into the knockout stage. The young opener will look to carry his confidence from the UAE match into the contest against Afghanistan