Dubai— Pakistan crowned Under-19 Asia Cup champions after a dominant 191-run victory over India in the final.
The Green Shirts posted a strong total of 347, built around an exceptional 172-run innings by Sameer Minhas. India struggled throughout the chase and failed to match the required run rate against disciplined Pakistani bowling.
Ali Raza led the attack with an impressive four wickets for 42 runs in 6.2 overs.
For India, Deepesh Devendran took three wickets but remained expensive, conceding 83 runs in his 10 overs, while Henil Patel and Khilan Patel claimed two wickets each.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the Pakistan Under-19 team and the nation on the historic win.
He praised the young players for their passion, discipline and teamwork, saying the victory over India in a major final is a significant achievement and a promising sign for the future of Pakistan cricket.
The Green Shirts reached 347 for eight in 50 overs, with Sameer Minhas leading the innings through a brilliant century. India had won the toss and decided to field first in the high-pressure match at the ICC Academy.
Pakistan’s dominant batting display
Sameer Minhas played a commanding knock and kept Pakistan in control from the start. After 29 overs, Pakistan were strongly placed at 193 for two, with Sameer unbeaten on 104 and Ahmed Hussain on 27.
At the end of first innings, Pakistan scored 347 runs, with Sameer scoring a mammoth 172 runs.
Their solid partnership kept the Indian attack under pressure throughout the early part of the innings.
Pakistan entered the final after defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in a rain-shortened semi-final at the Sevens Stadium.
The match was reduced to 27 overs per side due to overnight rain and a wet outfield. The victory secured Pakistan’s place in their first U19 Asia Cup final against India in 11 years.
India last beat Pakistan in the final in 2014, with that squad featuring players such as Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, Sanju Samson, and Kuldeep Yadav.
In the current event, Pakistan won two of their three group games and advanced to the title match after their strong performance in the semi-final.
Sameer Minhas has been Pakistan’s top performer in the tournament with 299 runs in four matches, while pacer Abdul Subhan leads the bowling charts with 11 wickets. Mohammad Sayyam has also contributed with eight wickets.
ACC President and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is expected to attend the final in Dubai. Reports suggest he is travelling to the UAE to witness the high-stakes match live.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Sameer Minhas, Usman Khan, Ahmed Hussain, Farhan Yousaf (c), Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Niqab Shafiq, Mohammad Shayan, Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan, Mohammad Sayyam
India: Ayush Mhatre (c), V Suryavanshi, Aaron George, VM Malhotra, Vedant Trivedi, AA Kundu (wk), Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, KK Singh
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