Nitish Sudini's aggressive knock ensured USA U19 not only beat Bermuda, but beat the rain which washed out Canada's match vs. Argentina; the twin results mean USA controls their own destiny to clinch a berth in the 2026 ICC Men's U19 World Cup.

Photo credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna in Rydal, Georgia (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
Tournament hosts USA asserted their dominance over Bermuda U19 once again on Wednesday, bowling them out for 55 after a two-hour delayed start to play before chasing the target inside of seven overs to record a seven-wicket win on day four of the 2025 ICC Americas U19 Men’s World Cup Qualifier at Param Veers Sports Complex. 
 
In a match reduced to 40 overs with a 12:30 pm start due to a wet outfield from rain that fell on Tuesday night in the area, USA knocked over the Bermuda lineup in 32.5 overs. USA had bowled their overs in rapid fashion, completing 23 before the lone drinks break was called by the umpires, and the speed at which they bowled Bermuda out meant that the umpires decided to begin the second innings after a 10-minute break rather than take a full lunch break. With clouds becoming overcast, USA took advantage of the time sequencing by getting the required runs in 6.4 overs thanks to a brisk 27 off 13 balls from Nitish Sudini before he fell with just three runs needed to win. 
 
Adnit Jhamb then recorded the winning single in the following over with a cut through point just 10 minutes before rain started to fall down again on Wednesday afternoon. The weather had drastic consequences for Canada, who chose to bat first in their match against Argentina which had been reduced to 42 overs. The strategic decision by Canada to post a big total in an effort to boost their net run rate backfired in spectacular fashion. 
 
After posting a total of 360 for 9, Canada stood in the field for a mere 10 deliveries with Argentina reaching 10 for 1 before the rain began to fall and never let up for the rest of the day. It meant they never got back on the field and the match was declared a no result with Canada and Argentina splitting one point each. Canada now sits three points behind USA with only two matches to play. If USA beats Argentina on Friday, they will clinch a berth in the 2026 ICC Men’s U19 World Cup regardless of Canada’s result against Bermuda as well as the result of Saturday’s match between USA and Canada. A rainout for an abandonment or no result in both of Friday’s scheduled matches would also secure a tournament title and U19 World Cup berth for USA. 
 
Despite clear skies throughout the morning, Bermuda and USA played a patient waiting game through multiple umpire inspections of the wet outfield before a toss was held. Bermuda won the toss and elected to bat first, which also played into USA’s hands with bad weather forecast to arrive at around 5 pm local time. USA made two changes as Amrinder Singh Gill and Sahir Bhatia were rotated out in favor of Jhamb and Adit Kappa. 
 
Left-arm spinner Kappa continued his superb tournament by striking in the second over, wrapping up a wicket maiden by getting Bermuda U19 captain Zeri Tomlinson prodding down the wrong line to win an lbw decision making it 3 for 1. New ball pacer Supransh Kumar induced an edge from opener Callum MacFarlane that was put down at gully in the third over on 1, but Kumar probed away to find another edge in the fifth over, this time held onto by wicketkeeper-captain Arjun Mahesh for 3 to make it 5 for 2. 
 
Kumar should have had Keegan Jones out second ball, but another chance was put down at second slip. However, Kappa bowled him through the gate for 7 with an arm ball in the eighth over to make it 12 for 3. Kumar followed it up in the next over by getting Isaiah O’Brien driving a catch to Sabrish Prasad at mid-on for a four-ball duck to make it 13 for 4. 
 
Left-arm spinner Ansh Rai replaced Kumar in the 13^th and struck with his fifth ball, bowling Sa-Qui Robinson for 2 with a quicker ball to make it 21 for 5. Luke Fulton then joined No. 3 Luke Horan in the middle and the pair defied USA’s spinners for the next 13 overs – rarely attacking outside of a pair of boundaries swept by Horan in back-to-back overs in the 14^th and 15^th - but also showing proficient defensive technique to keep USA’s bowlers frustrated. 
 
Medium pace was brought back into the attack in the form of Jhamb in the 23^rd over and the decision paid off after five balls when Horan skied a drive to Kumar at mid-off to fall for 21 off 50 balls, ending the 20-run partnership with Fulton to make it 41 for 6. Jhamb and Kumar teamed up again in his next over as another skied drive was claimed at mid-off from the bat of Callum McIntosh for 1 to make it 43 for 7. 
 
Fulton started to turn down singles beginning with the arrival of No. 9 batter Xavien James. But Kappa cleverly bowled his final ball of the 29^th over well wide of off stump, not called a wide but left alone by Fulton. It meant James would start on strike for the 30^th and Rai needed just three balls to induce a skied catch to mid-on for 2, taken by Kumar for the third time, to make it 54 for 8. Utkarsh Srivastava returned to the attack in the 33^rd and slanted one in from around the stumps to beat a leg side heave by Fulton, ending his stubborn resistance for 16 off 65 balls to make it 55 for 9. Two balls later, No. 11 Zakai Minors that shoveled a full delivery off the toe of the bat that floated gently back toward Srivastava, who jogged forward and reached low to take a shoe-top catch for the final wicket. No. 10 batter James MacFarlane ended 0 not out off nine balls. 
 
Srivastava wound up with the best figures of the five USA bowlers to take two wickets apiece, ending with 2 for 3 in 2.5 overs. Jhamb returned 2 for 5 in three overs while Rai registered 2 for 11 off eight. Kumar claimed an identical 2 for 11 but off just six overs though his three catches in the field helped separate him from the rest of the bowling unit to win Player of the Match honors. Kappa was the only other bowler besides Rai to finish his quota of eight overs and ended with 2 for 14. 
 
USA’s brief chase was an adventurous one as Jhamb was put down on the second ball at long-on off the bowling of Robinson when he had yet to score. Fellow opener Sahil Garg should have been caught on 5 off the bowling of Horan, but a hook was badly misjudged by the fielder at deep fine leg, who charged in for the flat chance only to see it zip over his head and land a foot over the rope for six. However, Garg continued to attack and wound up top-edging a pull on the next ball to Fulton at extra cover for 11 to make it 17 for 1 after two overs. 
 
Like Jhamb, Srivastava also offered a chance second-ball after arriving at No. 3, but this time the catch was held by James to give Robinson a wicket at 18 for 2 in the third. That brought Sudini to the crease and after a sedate first two overs at the crease, he took on Robinson in the fifth. Coming on strike for the third ball of the over, Sudini muscled a length ball through mid-off for four, then followed it up by launching a full ball over long-on for six. After a replacement ball was brought out, he ended the over by pumping Robinson again over the rope at long-off for another maximum to end a 19-run over. 
 
Jhamb began the sixth over by driving Horan over extra cover for his only boundary. After a single put Sudini back on strike, the USA No. 4 punched a knee high full toss through mid-on for another four to bring USA within one shot of victory. Sudini tried to finish off the match next ball with a heave across the line but Horan hit the top of leg stump with a length delivery to end Sudini’s furious knock. Saharsh Shwethan miscued a pull off his second ball to deep midwicket, but another chance was put down off Horan as Shwethan took a single to move USA two runs away from victory. A single by Shwethan off the second ball of the following over leveled the scores before Jhamb’s cut through the off side finished off play and ended any doubt about whether USA would get off the field before the rain forced them to. 
 
Horan ended with 2 for 25 off his three overs while Robinson claimed 1 for 29 off his three. Callum MacFarlane bowled the final four balls of the match to concede two runs. 
 
All teams have an off day on Thursday before play resumes on Friday when USA is scheduled to take on Argentina for the second time and Canada is set to meet Bermuda in another rematch. As of Wednesday night, thunderstorms are forecast for Friday at Param Veers Sports Complex from 10 until noon and then again from 3 pm onward.