Sameer Minhas' captivating century helps Pakistan steamroll India in ACC U19 Asia Cup 2025 final

Pakistan registered a comprehensive 191-run win over arch-rivals India on Sunday, December 21, at the ICC Academy in Dubai to clinch their second U19 Asia Cup title. Sameer Minhas was the star of the show for Pakistan as he registered another massive individual score (171) in the tournament to deflate India.

With 471 runs, Player of the Match Sameer broke Sami Aslam's record for the most runs in a single edition of the tournament and led Pakistan to their second U19 Asia Cup title.

Ayush Mhatre was lucky with the coin flip and chose to field - a decision that backfired and cost them their ninth title. Unlike their group-stage fixture, Pakistan sent wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor in place of Usman Khan to open alongside Sameer.

Pakistan's tactical change pays dividends

The ploy paid dividends as Zahoor came out with intent and took the attack to the opposition, targeting India's new-ball bowlers Henil Patel and Kishan Singh.

Zahoor got the innings underway with a thick outside edge on the penultimate ball of the first over, beating the fielder stationed at third.

His act of aggression caught the Indian team off guard, and they erred in length. He hit Henil Patel for a six over cow corner in the next over as Pakistan fans erupted in joy. Zahoor's enterprising knock (18 off 14 balls) came to an end in the third over as he mistimed while trying to go down the ground and was caught at mid-off by Mhatre.

Magnificent Minhas

Pakistan's poster boy this tournament, Sameer, took charge after losing his opening partner and stitched a 92-run stand with Usman Khan to lay the foundation of a big total.

Indian bowlers failed to hit the corridor of uncertainty and bowled either too short or too full, getting hit for boundaries square of the wicket and down the ground.

Sameer looked assured at the crease and exhibited his repertoire of strokes, pulling with disdain and driving downtown with ease. He lost Usman in the 17th over as the latter got out for 35. Usman's wicket brought Ahmed Hussain to the crease, and Sameer added 137 runs with him for the third wicket.

He brought up his century on the third delivery of the 29th over with a drive past the mid-on fielder. He kept the tempo up throughout his innings and scored 172 off 113 balls at a strike rate of 152.21, including 17 fours and nine sixes.

Hussain also left his mark on the game with a 72-ball 56, laced with three fours and a maximum. Minhas got out when Pakistan were at 302 in the 43rd over, and it led to a mini collapse which saw them lose four wickets in under four overs.

India pull things back at fag end

They eventually posted 347 as Indian bowlers pulled things back. Deepesh Devendran picked 3/83, Henil Patel and Khilan Patel bagged two wickets each. The Indian bowlers varied their pace and showcased efficient death bowling to prevent Pakistan from flying away with their run rate.

India crumble under scoreboard pressure

India's run chase began with Vaibhav Suryavanshi landing a few lusty blows for sixes. However, their innings soon got derailed. Mohammad Sayyam, Ali Raza, and Abdul Subhan took centre stage and demolished India's batting order.

The pressure of chasing 348 got to the Indian team as they crumbled under unrelenting pressure.  Barring Suryavanshi (26 off 10), no other India batter looked comfortable in the middle.

Pakistan's fast bowlers hunted in pairs as Ali claimed a four-wicket haul and Subhan and Sayyam claimed two wickets each. Allrounder Huzaifa Ahsan finished with figures of 2/12 to play a supporting act. Deepesh played an entertaining 36-run knock in the end to reduce India's margin of defeat as they got bowled out for 156 in 26.2 overs.