Pakistan’s young cricketers produced a finish to remember in Oman on Sunday, beating India by three wickets in a low-scoring ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup thriller at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground. Chasing 209, the defending champions were guided home by an unbeaten century from Hamza Zahoor, who held his nerve when the match was still in the balance.
India had earlier been bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs, and for much of their innings only one man stood between them and a far smaller total. Arjun Rajput played a superb lone hand, striking 107 off just 85 balls with 11 fours and five sixes to rescue his side after a top-order collapse.
India’s first four batters managed only 42 runs between them, leaving Rajput to rebuild almost single-handedly. He shared a 44-run stand with wicketkeeper Anvay Dravid and a 64-run partnership with Manal Chauhan, who made 10, before falling in the 36th over with the score on 170 for seven. The lower order could add only 38 more runs, with Kavya Patel’s 23 the only other contribution of note and Ishan Sood left unbeaten on two.
Pakistan’s bowlers set up the win
Pakistan’s bowling attack had done the hard work long before the chase began. Ali Raza took three wickets for 37 runs, Rizwanullah claimed three for 24 and Niqab Shafiq returned three for 42, while left-arm bowler Mohammad Sayyam chipped in with one for 27. Between them they never allowed India to build a partnership long enough to post a challenging total.
Yet the chase was far from comfortable. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and the contest stayed alive deep into the second innings, with the match turning into a test of temperament as much as technique.
That was when Zahoor took charge. Batting at number seven, he anchored the innings with 100 not out off 108 balls, pacing the chase perfectly and making sure Pakistan crossed the line with three wickets still in hand. His calm under pressure turned what could have been a tense finish into a famous win for the young Green Shirts.
Defending champions stay on top
The result keeps Pakistan on course in Group A, where India, Pakistan, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates are competing. Both sides had won their opening matches, India against Nepal and Pakistan against the UAE, so this was the first defeat of the tournament for India, who must now win their remaining group game against the UAE to strengthen their position.
For Pakistan, the victory carries extra meaning. They are the defending Under-19 Asia Cup champions, having beaten India by 191 runs in the 2025 final, and this win means they have now got the better of their biggest rivals in consecutive editions of the tournament.
The match also had its moment of high drama in the field. In the 44th over of India’s innings, three Pakistan fielders converged under a skier from Kavya Patel but none of them took the catch, handing India a late reprieve that briefly lifted their total. In the end, though, it was Pakistan’s day, sealed by a century that will be remembered by everyone who watched it.
