India U19 opener Aaron George gave a testament to his sheer batting skills when the stakes were high to help his side seal a berth in the U19 World Cup 2026 Final. The youngster’s heroics came in the semi-final clash against Afghanistan while chasing a steep target of 311.
Aaron George slammed a deft knock of 115 (off 104 balls), comprising a stellar 15 boundaries and two maximums to ensure India won the contest comfortably with seven wickets and 53 balls to spare. In the process, India has now set up a date opposite England U19 in the summit clash, slated for February 6.
For India, who have won the title the most number of times (five), the runners-up from the previous edition will hope to lift the trophy this time around and extend their total tally to six and Aaron George will once more have a crucial role to play.
After his knock against Afghanistan, George entered the recordbooks for registering the highest individual score in a run chase of a U19 World Cup knockout game. He went past former India U19 skipper Unmukt Chand, who held the record with his 111 in the U19 World Cup Final against Australia in 2012. Aaron George also eclipsed current India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had the highest score while batting second in the semi-final in the competition’s history.
Overall, this knock ranks as the third-highest individual score in a U19 World Cup knockout. Only Nicholas Pooran’s 143 for the West Indies against Australia in the 2014 quarter-final in Dubai, and Cheteshwar Pujara’s 129 for India against England in the 2006 semi-final in Colombo rank ahead.
Furthermore, George has become the ninth Indian batter to score a hundred in a U19 World Cup knockout game and the sixth to achieve this feat specifically in a semi-final.
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Motivated by his father Easo Varghese, who was an aspiring cricketer but failed to find success, Aaron George idolises Proteas legend AB de Villiers. With a penchant for gorgeous strokeplay and a calm temperament, the Kerala cricketer has often drawn comparisons with India star Sanju Samson.
Speaking about his early days, Aaron George formally enrolled in a cricket academy at the age of seven. Soon enough, he impressed in a Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) camp and witnessed a sharp climb through the age-group level before donning India colours.
The 19-year-old first came under the spotlight during the 2022-23 Vijay Merchant Trophy, scoring an unbeaten 303 against Bihar. Aaron then delivered in Vinoo Mankad Trophy for two consecutive seasons, finishing in the top-scorer’s list with 341 runs in 2024 and 373 runs in 2025. Not only that, he also led Hyderabad to their maiden title in the tournament last year alongside his batting heroics, which saw his leadership extended to captaining India-B in a U19 triangular series.
The teenager continued his stellar show for India U19 too, playing a key role in their runners-up finish in the U19 Asia Cup 2025 with 228 runs in four matches at an average of 76 and is now shouldering responsibilities in U19 World Cup 2026.
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