Fri Dec 19 09:49:34 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the text:
Headline: Rain Delays U19 Asia Cup Semifinals, India Opts to Field After Toss
Dubai, UAE – Rain caused significant delays to both semi-final matches in the U19 Asia Cup 2025 being held in Dubai on Friday. The highly anticipated clash between India and Sri Lanka, originally scheduled for a 10:30 AM IST start, was heavily impacted by severe rainfall. While the rain eventually subsided, a persistent wet outfield prolonged the delay, requiring multiple inspections by the umpires.
The India vs Sri Lanka match finally commenced with India winning the toss and electing to field first in a shortened 20-over-per-side contest.
The other semi-final match between Pakistan and Bangladesh also faced similar delays due to the wet outfield. Tournament rules dictate that if either match is ultimately abandoned, the team that topped its respective group during the preliminary stage will advance to the final. This would mean India and Bangladesh are through to the summit clash.
India entered the semi-final as the dominant force in Group A, having secured comprehensive victories in all three of their matches against Pakistan, UAE, and Malaysia. Notably, Abhigyan Kundu delivered a remarkable unbeaten innings of 209 off 125 balls against Malaysia, propelling India to a massive total of 408/7. Malaysia were bowled out for just 93. While Kundu’s knock was impressive, it doesn’t hold official youth ODI status.
Bangladesh also enjoyed an unbeaten run in Group B, while Sri Lanka and Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals as group runners-up.
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