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Pakistan U19 registered a memorable three-wicket victory over arch-rivals India U19 in a thrilling Group A encounter of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026 on Sunday, November 8. A sensational unbeaten century from wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor helped Pakistan overcome a difficult situation and complete a remarkable run chase at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
India looked favourites to win after reducing Pakistan to 61/5 while defending a target of 209 runs. However, Hamza Zahoor produced a brilliant performance under pressure, guiding his team to victory with 11 balls remaining. His outstanding innings overshadowed a fighting century from India’s Arjun Rajput.
India Struggle Early Despite Arjun Rajput’s Brilliant Century
After winning the toss, India U19 decided to bat first. However, the Indian batting line-up suffered an early setback as captain Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani was dismissed for a duck by Pakistan pacer Ali Raza.
India continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with the scoreboard reading 22/3 during the early stages. Aaryavir Sehwag managed 22 runs, while VK Vineeth and Yashbardhan Chauhan failed to make significant contributions.
Anvay Dravid also struggled to build a substantial innings and departed after scoring 10 runs. With India losing wickets regularly, the responsibility of rescuing the innings fell on Arjun Rajput.
The young batter responded brilliantly and played one of the finest innings of the match. Showing tremendous confidence and attacking intent, Rajput scored 107 runs off just 85 deliveries. His innings included 11 boundaries and five sixes.
He received some support from Manal Chauhan, and their partnership helped India recover from a difficult position. However, Rajput’s dismissal triggered another collapse, preventing India from reaching a bigger total.
India were eventually bowled out for 208 runs in 46.3 overs.
Pakistan Bowlers Dominate Indian Batting
Pakistan’s bowling attack deserves significant credit for restricting India to 208 runs. Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Niqab Shafiq were the standout performers, picking up three wickets each.
Ali Raza finished with figures of 3/37, while Rizwanullah claimed 3/24. Niqab Shafiq also delivered an impressive performance, taking 3/42.
Their combined efforts ensured that India could not capitalise fully on Arjun Rajput’s outstanding century.
Although 209 appeared to be a manageable target, the pressure of an India-Pakistan encounter made the chase challenging.
India Reduce Pakistan to 61/5
Pakistan’s chase began on a disappointing note as India’s bowlers immediately put pressure on the opposition batting line-up.
The Indian attack picked up wickets at regular intervals, leaving Pakistan struggling at 61/5 inside 15 overs. At that stage, India appeared firmly in control and needed only a few more breakthroughs to secure victory.
Manal Chauhan was particularly impressive with the ball, troubling Pakistan’s batters and finishing with three wickets for 32 runs. Mohit Ulva also contributed with two important wickets.
Pakistan were facing the possibility of a defeat until Hamza Zahoor stepped forward and changed the direction of the match.
Hamza Zahoor and Hasnain Abbas Dar Turn the Match Around
Walking into a difficult situation, Hamza Zahoor displayed remarkable patience, confidence and determination.
Instead of panicking, the wicketkeeper-batter carefully assessed the conditions before launching his counterattack. He found an excellent partner in Hasnain Abbas Dar, who played a crucial supporting role.
The duo stitched together a match-changing 107-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Dar contributed 38 runs from 67 deliveries, providing valuable support to Zahoor.
Their partnership completely changed the momentum of the contest. Pakistan moved closer to the target, while India’s bowlers struggled to find a breakthrough.
Although India managed to dismiss Dar and Mohammad Sayyam towards the closing stages, Hamza remained calm and continued to take responsibility.
Hamza Zahoor Completes a Match-Winning Century
Hamza Zahoor produced a memorable unbeaten innings of 100 runs from 108 balls. His knock featured 10 fours and three sixes.
He demonstrated excellent temperament by combining controlled batting with timely aggression. More importantly, he ensured that Pakistan did not lose their way during the tense final overs.
Hamza completed his century in spectacular fashion, hitting the winning boundary to take Pakistan across the finish line.
Pakistan reached 209/7 in 48.1 overs, winning the contest by three wickets with 11 balls remaining.
For his outstanding match-winning performance, Hamza Zahoor was deservedly named Player of the Match.
India Face Heartbreak After a Strong Fight
For India, the defeat was particularly disappointing because the team had worked hard to put Pakistan under tremendous pressure.
Arjun Rajput’s 107-run innings and Manal Chauhan’s three-wicket haul were outstanding individual performances. However, the Indian team could not maintain its control during Pakistan’s crucial sixth-wicket partnership.
The missed opportunity to finish the match after reducing Pakistan to 61/5 will certainly be a major talking point.
India will need to improve their bowling execution and convert promising situations into victories in their remaining tournament fixtures.
Match Summary: India vs Pakistan U19 Asia Cup 2026
India U19: 208 all out in 46.3 overs
Pakistan U19: 209/7 in 48.1 overs
Top Performers:
- Arjun Rajput: 107 runs off 85 balls
- Hamza Zahoor: 100* runs off 108 balls
- Hasnain Abbas Dar: 38 runs off 67 balls
- Ali Raza: 3 wickets for 37 runs
- Rizwanullah: 3 wickets for 24 runs
- Niqab Shafiq: 3 wickets for 42 runs
- Manal Chauhan: 3 wickets for 32 runs
Result: Pakistan U19 defeated India U19 by three wickets.
Player of the Match: Hamza Zahoor (Pakistan U19).
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Conclusion
The India vs Pakistan U19 Asia Cup 2026 clash delivered everything that makes cricket exciting: early collapses, outstanding centuries, impressive bowling and a dramatic finish.
While Arjun Rajput fought brilliantly to give India a respectable total, Hamza Zahoor stole the spotlight with an unforgettable unbeaten century.
Pakistan demonstrated tremendous fighting spirit by recovering from 61/5 to chase down 209 runs. The victory will provide a significant confidence boost to the defending champions, while India will look to learn from this heartbreaking defeat and return stronger in their upcoming matches.
Hamza Zahoor’s incredible innings will undoubtedly remain one of the biggest highlights of this edition of the U19 Asia Cup.
