Sri Lanka’s Victory Fuels Semifinal Dreams as South Africa Exits U19 World Cup 2026

Sri Lanka boosted its chances of reaching the semifinals by defeating South Africa by five wickets, eliminating them from the Men’s Under-19 World Cup Super Six Group 1 at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

This victory propelled Sri Lanka to second place, just behind Australia, with three victories from four matches, while South Africa ended the Super Six stage without any wins.

Sri Lanka now depends on Ireland defeating Afghanistan on Friday to qualify. Afghanistan’s superior net run rate (NRR) means a win would secure their semifinal spot.

After losing the toss on Thursday, Sri Lanka performed exceptionally well. South Africa chose to bat first and had a strong start with a 96-run opening partnership between Jorich Van Schalkwyk and Adnaan Lagadien.

Lagadien was dismissed for 46, but Van Schalkwyk continued to score 116 from 130 balls. Following the first wicket, Sri Lanka struck regularly, with leg-spinner Vigneshwaran Akash taking four wickets in his 10 overs, and South Africa concluded their innings at 261 for seven.

In response, Sri Lankan opener Viran Chamuditha scored 110 off 94 balls, receiving ample support from the rest of the lineup, as they chased down the target with four overs to spare.

Chamuditha, together with Senuja Wekunagoda, added 143 in just 130 deliveries for the second wicket, effectively pushing South Africa out of the contest. The remaining batsmen then sealed the victory, keeping Sri Lanka’s hopes alive.

Brief Scores:
South Africa U-19: 261/7 in 50 overs (Jorich Van Schalkwyk 116, Adnaan Lagadien 46, Paul James 37; Vigneshwaran Akash 4/46)
Sri Lanka U-19: 265/5 in 46 overs (Viran Chamuditha 110, Senuja Wekunagoda 48, Vimath Dinsara 32)

Published on Jan 29, 2026