India's Under-19 cricketers began their campaign in the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 on Friday, taking on Nepal in their opening Group A match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, with the team's bowlers making the early running after captain Lakshya Raichandani won the toss and chose to field first. The match, which started at 10:30 AM IST, is the first step in a tournament India will hope ends with the continental title on 14 November.
By the time the match had reached its 36th over, Nepal had reached 114 for five, with Darsh Sonar batting on 32 from 85 balls and Sachin Bhatt on five from 12. The slow scoring rate, barely above three runs an over, told the story of an innings in which India's bowlers had kept a tight grip from the start, and Nepal's batters had been forced to fight for every run on a surface that offered the bowlers plenty of encouragement.
The tone was set in the opening overs. Nepal lost their first wicket with only three runs on the board, when Prashiddha Jaishi was caught by Arjun Rajput off Ishan Sood for one. Suryanshu Koirala followed soon after, also caught by Rajput off Sood, for five, and when Nischal Chhetri was caught by Yashbardhan Chauhan off the same bowler without scoring, Nepal were in deep trouble at 27 for three inside the first nine overs.
Niraj Kumar Yadav offered the first real resistance, making 20 from 48 balls, but he too fell to the bowling of Manal Chauhan, leg before wicket, with the total on 51. Aashish Luhar, the wicketkeeper, then made 29 from 45 balls before being caught by Rajput off Yashveer Goud, leaving Nepal five down for 94.
Sood was the pick of the Indian bowlers in the early stages, finishing a superb ten-over spell with figures of three wickets for 18 runs, including four maiden overs, at an economy rate of just 1.80 runs per over. Goud supported him well with one for 14 from five and a half overs, while Manal Chauhan took one for 18 and Kavya Patel conceded only 11 runs from four overs.
The discipline of the attack was underlined by the extras column: of the 22 extras in Nepal's total, 19 were wides, a reminder that even on a disciplined day, young bowlers can stray.
India's decision to bowl first after winning the toss reflected the conditions in Al Amerat, where the morning start and the moisture in the pitch traditionally offer early assistance to the seamers. The toss was taken at 10:00 AM IST, half an hour before the first ball, and Raichandani's call was vindicated within the first few overs as Nepal's top order struggled against the moving ball.
The Al Amerat Cricket Ground, also known as the Oman Cricket Academy Ground, is hosting the entire tournament across its two grounds in the Ministry Turf complex, with matches starting at 9:00 AM local time, which is 10:30 AM in India.
The spotlight on this Indian side falls on two names in particular. Aaryavir Sehwag, the son of former India opener Virender Sehwag, and Anvay Dravid, the son of former India captain Rahul Dravid, are both in focus as the tournament begins, carrying famous surnames into a competition that has launched many international careers.
Their presence has added to the interest around a squad led by Raichandani, with Yashbardhan Chauhan as vice-captain, and the way the youngsters handle the attention will be one of the subplots of India's campaign.
The tournament itself, the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup 2026, runs from 5 to 14 November in Oman and features eight teams from across the continent playing 50-over cricket. India have been placed in Group A alongside Nepal, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Malaysia. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled for 12 November, with the final to be played on 14 November.
The group stage runs from 5 to 10 November, with the opening match of the tournament played between Bangladesh and Malaysia.
India's schedule gives them little time to settle. After the opener against Nepal, they face arch-rivals Pakistan in their second group-stage match on Sunday, 8 November, a fixture that always carries extra edge at any level of the game, before taking on the UAE in their final group-stage match. The Pakistan game, in particular, will be a stern early test of the young side's temperament, coming as it does only two days into the tournament.
Nepal, captained by Bipin Sharma, came into the match as underdogs but with a side that has shown it can compete at this level. Their playing eleven for the opener was Aashish Luhar as wicketkeeper, Abhay Yadav, Bipin Sharma as captain, Darsh Sonar, Niraj Kumar Yadav, Nischal Chhetri, Nitesh Patel, Prashiddha Jaishi, Sachin Bhatt, Sushil Rawal and Suryanshu Koirala.
The team will have taken encouragement from the way Sonar and Luhar rebuilt the innings after the early collapse, adding 43 runs for the fifth wicket and ensuring Nepal had a platform, however modest, from which to build in the closing overs.
For India, the Under-19 Asia Cup has long been a proving ground. The tournament sits in a crowded pathway for young cricketers, between domestic age-group cricket and the Under-19 World Cup, and performances here are watched closely by selectors, coaches and fans alike.
Many of the players who have gone on to represent India at senior level first announced themselves in these continental age-group competitions, and the current squad will know that a strong tournament can accelerate a career.
The presence of players with famous fathers only sharpens that attention, but the selection of this squad has been based on performances in domestic youth cricket, and the bowlers' display against Nepal suggested a group that is well prepared rather than overawed.
The match is being telecast live in India on the Sony Sports Network, with live streaming available on the SonyLIV app and website, and the early exchanges suggested a contest in which India's attack would set the terms. Nepal's task for the remainder of their innings was to bat out their fifty overs and post a total their bowlers could defend, while India would look to wrap up the innings quickly and chase down whatever target was set with the minimum of fuss.
Beyond the result, the opener offers an early read on where this Indian side stands. A convincing win against Nepal would build momentum before the Pakistan match, while a struggle would raise questions about the batting depth that the tournament's tougher tests will examine. The bowlers have done their part on the opening day.
The batters will get their chance when the chase begins, and the way they approach it will say much about the confidence and clarity of a young team beginning its journey in Oman.
(Reporting based on Cricbuzz, NDTV Profit, Outlook India and Jagran Josh.)