Pakistan were crowned champions of the Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup after registering a dominant 191-run victory over arch-rivals India in a one-sided final at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai on Sunday.
Opener Sameer Minhas produced a sensational batting performance, smashing a record-breaking 172 off 113 balls to set up Pakistan’s emphatic title triumph.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first on a batting-friendly surface, Pakistan got off to a confident start despite losing Hamza Zahoor early. Minhas, however, looked in complete control from the outset and punished anything loose from the Indian bowlers.
He was particularly severe on the new-ball attack, displaying impeccable timing and power as he found the boundaries with ease.
Minhas brought up his century in just 71 balls and continued to accelerate, eventually finishing with 17 fours and nine towering sixes at a strike rate of over 150.
His knock was the highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in Youth ODIs and also the highest score ever recorded in an Under-19 Asia Cup final.
The right-hander was well supported by Usman Khan, who contributed a valuable 35, before forging a crucial 137-run partnership for the third wicket with left-hander Ahmed Hussain. Hussain continued his impressive run in the tournament, scoring a composed 56 off 72 deliveries to keep the momentum firmly with Pakistan.
India managed to pull things back slightly in the final 10 overs, picking up wickets through Deepesh Devendran and Khilan Patel. However, Pakistan still posted a massive total of 347 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. Devendran was the pick of the Indian bowlers, finishing with figures of 3 for 83.
Chasing an imposing target, India began aggressively, racing to 32 in the first two overs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi looked dangerous during his brief stay, smashing three sixes and a four in his quick-fire 26 off 10 balls. However, Pakistan’s pace attack soon turned the match decisively in their favour.
Ali Raza struck crucial blows, removing Suryavanshi and triggering a dramatic collapse. India slipped from 49 for 1 to 68 for 5 within a few overs, as Pakistan’s pacers extracted extra bounce and movement from the surface. Mohammad Sayyam and Abdul Subhan backed Raza superbly, maintaining relentless pressure on the Indian batting line-up.
Despite some late resistance from Deepesh Devendran, who top-scored for India with a brisk 36, the chase never recovered. India were eventually bowled out for 156 in just 26.2 overs, marking their heaviest defeat in terms of runs in Youth ODIs.
Ali Raza finished with impressive figures of 4 for 42, while Sayyam and Subhan picked up two wickets each to seal Pakistan’s comprehensive win. The victory also marked Pakistan’s first outright Under-19 Asia Cup title, having previously shared the trophy with India in 2012.
Minhas was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, capping a memorable tournament for the young opener and underlining Pakistan’s strong credentials ahead of the upcoming Under-19 World Cup.
Brief Scores
Pakistan U19: 347/8 in 50 overs
(Sameer Minhas 172, Ahmed Hussain 56; Deepesh Devendran 3/83, Khilan Patel 2/44)
India U19: 156 all out in 26.2 overs
(Deepesh Devendran 36, Vaibhav Suryavanshi 26; Ali Raza 4/42)
Result: Pakistan Under-19 beat India Under-19 by 191 runs
