U19 Asia Cup: Aaryavir Sehwag’s Unbeaten 70 Powers India to 10-Wicket Win Over Nepal

India open the U19 Asia Cup with a statement chase

India Under-19 began the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026 with a 10-wicket win over Nepal in Dubai on Friday 6 November. Chasing 129, opener Aaryavir Sehwag — son of former India batter Virender Sehwag — finished 70 not out off 52 balls (seven fours, four sixes) while captain Lakshya Raichandani made 53 not out off 63. India reached the target in 19.1 overs without losing a wicket.

India Today, ThePrint (PTI) and The Statesman all carried the same core numbers from the opener.

How the bowlers set up 128 all out

Nepal were bowled out for 128 in 42.3 overs. Tall seamer Ishan Sood took 3 for 18 and Arjun Rajput returned 3 for 8. Darsh Sonar top-scored with 43 off 93, but Nepal slipped to 51 for 4 and never rebuilt a platform. The modest total left India’s openers with a free-hitting chase rather than a grind.

Sehwag’s tempo — and the next assignment

Aaryavir’s innings echoed the family brand of intent: using the crease against the new ball, lofting spin over long-on, and bringing up fifty by clearing the sight screen off Abhay Yadav. He arrived on the back of a 173 off 143 for Delhi against Chandigarh in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and useful scores (28, 47, 34) against Australia U19 in Rajkot.

Wicketkeeper-batter Anvay Dravid, also in the squad, did not bat because the chase finished so early. Full squad context is in our earlier piece: India U19 Asia Cup 2026 squad.

India’s next Group A fixture is against Pakistan on Sunday — a sharper gauge than Nepal of whether this batting unit can handle pressure nights. Dates for the India–Pakistan age-group window were flagged earlier here: India vs Pakistan U19 / Rising Stars November dates.

Elsewhere in the group stage

Afghanistan U19 also started strongly, beating Bangladesh U19 by 113 runs (Afghanistan 231, Bangladesh 118) in Oman, with Shah Faisal Rahimi scoring 83. Bangladesh’s next assignment was listed as Sri Lanka on 7 November. Those results underline how quickly net run rate can matter in a short Asia Cup group.

For Indian fans following both age-group and senior tours this week — ODIs in Wellington, India A in Lincoln, U19 in Dubai — Sehwag’s unbeaten 70 is the cleanest batting headline of 6 November.

Why the openers’ stand matters beyond one result

A 10-wicket win can look routine on the card, but the manner matters for a short group stage. Sehwag and Raichandani finished the chase inside 20 overs, protecting net run rate and resting the middle order before a high-attention Pakistan game. Coaches also get a clean look at whether Aaryavir’s Mankad-Trophy aggression translates when the field spreads in international whites.

Watch for Pakistan’s new-ball plan on Sunday: if they bowl fuller at Sehwag’s pads and wider at Raichandani’s drive, India may need a third batter earlier than they did against Nepal. That is the real exam. Nepal exposed little; Pakistan will.

Sources: India Today / ThePrint-PTI / The Statesman (6 Nov 2026) — Sehwag 70* off 52 (7×4, 4×6), Raichandani 53* off 63, India chase 129 in 19.1 overs for a 10-wicket win; Sood 3-18, Rajput 3-8, Nepal 128 in 42.3; Vinoo Mankad Trophy 173 background; ACB / bdcrictime on Afghanistan U19’s 113-run win over Bangladesh U19.