In the final of the Mens U19 Asia Cup held in Dubai on Sunday, Pakistan was amazing in all departments and beated India by a huge margin of 191 runs, thus winning their second title in the history of the tournament. India, who had to chase a mammoth target of 348, were dismissed for a mere 156 in 26. 2 overs, thus giving Pakistan a comfortable victory.
This victory was a huge one. Pakistan achieved their first ever Men’s U19 Asia cup victory and also their first win after winning the title with India in 2013.
India’s Chase Collapses Early
India required a strong start to chase down the huge total and began positively, scoring 32 runs in the first two overs. However, the innings quickly fell apart as Pakistan’s disciplined bowling ripped through the top order. India slumped to 49 for 3 within 4.1 overs, losing openers Ayush Mhatre (2 off 7), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (26 off 10), and No. 3 batter Aaron George (16 off 9).
From there, India never recovered. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals, and no meaningful partnerships were built. The highest stand of the innings came for the last wicket, with Deepesh Devendran and Kishan Singh adding 36 runs off 18 balls.
Pakistan’s bowling attack was relentless. Ali Raza led the charge with four wickets, including the scalps of both Indian openers. Mohammad Sayyam, Abdul Subhan, and Huzaifa Ahsan chipped in with two wickets each, ensuring India were never allowed to settle.
Sameer Minhas Stars With the Bat
Before that, Pakistan had laid an impressive 347 for 8 in 50 overs with their bat, led by Sameer Minhas’ impressive performance of 172 off only 113 balls; cementing his place amongst the competition’s finest players.
Minhas’ innings was packed with 17 fours and nine sixes. He reached his century in only 71 deliveries and was unbeatable against India bowlers throughout. It was his second century in this tournament after an unbeaten 177 against Malaysia during the group stage.
Pakistan, who had lost to India by 90 runs during their group stage match at the same venue, displayed remarkable improvement and composure during the final. Following their decisive eight-wicket win over reigning champions Bangladesh in the semifinals, Pakistan carried that momentum into their title clash against India.
Awards and Milestones
Sameer Minhas is the most impressive performance of the game and consequently received his Best Player in the Match and of the Series and Player of the Series awards. The Green Shirts had a big win and that means they are the champions of the U19 Asia Cup. This final game was also very one sided it was one of the final games that people have seen in this tournament. The Green Shirts played well and they won the game easily.
Pakistans Under-19 Cricket Team proved its unbreakable power at the finals, defeating their fierce competitors 2-0 and thus cementing its position as one of the premier cricketing programs for youngsters.
