‘Ailing Kerala team could use some exciting fresh blood,’ Tharoor hails Aaron George

India’s youngsters booked their place in Sunday’s final with a breathtaking seven‑wicket victory over Afghanistan in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 semi-final in Harare, chasing down a daunting 310 for four — the highest successful run‑chase in U19 World Cup history.

At the heart of the pursuit was Aaron George, the Kottayam-born left‑hander now based in Hyderabad, who anchored the innings with a beautifully paced 115 off 104 balls. His century, laced with elegant cover drives and intelligent lofted strokes, underlined a maturity beyond his years.

George’s innings came in partnership with fellow top-order batter Ayush Mhatre, who revitalised his tournament with a fluent 62, adding 114 runs in just over 17 overs to extinguish any Afghan hopes of a comeback. Earlier, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set a brisk tempo with a lively 68, his innings punctuated by emphatic boundaries and a memorable helicopter six.

"Scanning the scores of India’s decisive rout of Afghanistan in the U19 World Cup 2026 semi-final, it looks like Kerala have a new star in the wings in centurion Aaron George. The young lad has had a number of impressive knocks in International Under19 cricket over the past year. The ailing Kerala team could use some exciting fresh blood!,” remarked Shashi Tharoor.

Afghanistan had posted a challenging total, thanks to commanding centuries from Faisal Shinozada (110) and an unbeaten *Uzairullah Niazal (101)**, whose resilient knocks and partnerships of 53 and 64 had built a platform for a three‑hundred score.

India’s bowling, however, struck with discipline. Deepesh Devendran provided crucial breakthroughs, and spin all-rounder Kanishk Chouhan stemmed the scoring, keeping pressure on the Afghan middle order.

Post-match, George emphasised calm and composure, lauding his partners for their collective effort. India now await England in the final on Friday, marking their 10th appearance on the U19 showpiece stage — a testament to enduring excellence at the junior level.