Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs to win the 50-over men’s U19 Asia Cup final at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai on Sunday. Sameer Minhas smashed 172 off 113 deliveries — his second in the tournament
— as Pakistan scored a formidable 347/8. In reply, India were bowled for 156.
Pakistan claimed their second U19 Asia Cup title, and as has become customary, there was no formal exchange of greetings between the players of the two teams.
U19 Asia Cup 2025 Final: India vs Pakistan – Highlights
How Pakistan Beat India?
After Pakistan posted a massive 347 for eight, thanks to Minhas’ 172 (113b, 17×4, 9×6), they needed a spirited chase to secure their ninth tournament title.
However, Pakistan’s tall pace trio — Ali Reza (4/42), Mohammad Sayyam (2/38), and Abdul Subhan (2/29) — troubled India’s top-order with consistent hard lengths, and India folded for 156 in 26.2 overs.
India’s chase had a fiery start despite losing Ayush Mhatre early. Vaibhav Suryavanshi hammered Raza for two sixes and a four, taking 21 runs in the first over. Aaron George also started brightly, striking Sayyam for three consecutive fours in the fourth over, with India scoring at 10 runs per over.
The game’s course changed on the last ball of the fourth over when George’s pull off Sayyam resulted in him skying the ball to Mohammad Shayan inside the circle. In the first ball of the fifth over, India faced a major setback with Suryavanshi’s dismissal. He attempted a full-blooded pick-up shot off Raza, but the good-length ball with extra bounce edged to keeper Zahoor Hamza. Raza and the Pakistan fielders celebrated exuberantly, and a few words were exchanged before Suryavanshi walked off dejected.
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India slipped from 49 for 1 to 49 for three in two balls, and the collapse continued. Vedant Trivedi and Kanishk Chouhan also fell to sharp deliveries as Pakistan’s pacers made the flat ICC Academy pitch look like a minefield. India’s last hope, albeit slim, was Abhigyan Kundu, whose drop on 12 off Subhan hinted at a potential shift in fortune. However, Kundu’s upper cut two balls later found Niqab Shafiq at third man, extinguishing any remaining hopes.
Earlier, Pakistan opener Minhas played a brilliant knock, helping Pakistan to a colossal total. Minhas, the younger brother of Pakistan T20 player Arafat, attacked every Indian bowler, particularly new-ball bowlers Kishan Singh and Deepesh Devendran. Minhas reached his century off 71 balls with a four in the 29th over off Devendran. This was Minhas’ second hundred of the competition, having scored an unbeaten 177 against Malaysia in the opening group match.
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Minhas’ six in the 28th over, where he used his feet to launch a Mhatre delivery high to deep mid-wicket, was a classy shot. The 19-year-old seemed set for a double century but was deceived by a slower delivery from Devendran (3/83) and was caught at mid-on.
Pakistan’s innings progressed smoothly after the early departure of Hamza Zahoor (18). Zahoor’s dismissal brought in Usman Khan (35), who, along with Minhas, took the total to 123, adding 92 runs for the second wicket. Left-handed Ahmed Hussain, who had been in fine form throughout the tournament, scoring a century and a half-ton, contributed a solid 56 before left-arm spinner Khilan Patel (2/44) enticed him into a false sweep, resulting in a catch at mid-wicket. His 137-run partnership with Minhas set the platform for Pakistan to post a big total.
Who Has Won Most ACC Under-19 Asia Cup Titles?
India have won the title a record eight times since the tournament’s inception in 1989. They were joint winners with Pakistan in the 2012 edition when the match ended in a tie.
Pakistan have now lifted the trophy twice, after sharing the title with their arch-rivals in Malaysia.
(With inputs from Agencies)
