Indian cricket team has once again proved its supremacy in Asia. In the final of Under-19 Asia Cup, India defeated Pakistan by one wicket in a thrilling match. With this, the Indian team won the title of this tournament for the 9th time. In the final played at Al Amerat in Muscat, the capital of Oman, Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. Thanks to the brilliant century of Usman Khan, a huge score of 337 runs was made in 50 overs. In reply, the Indian team had a good start, but there was a fall of wickets in the middle overs. At one time India had lost 8 wickets for 252 runs. The team needed 86 runs in 51 balls to win. In such difficult times, Manal Chauhan and Mohit Ulva took charge and changed the course of the match with their brilliant innings. India achieved the target on the last ball.
For Pakistan, opener Usman Khan scored 107 runs in 111 balls. Whereas, Abdul Qadir played an inning of 80 runs and captain Farhan Yusuf played an inning of 63 runs. For India, Kavya Patel took 4 wickets and Chigurupathi Venkat took 3 wickets. Chasing the target, the Indian team got a strong start from Arvir Sehwag and captain Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani. There was a partnership of 95 runs between the two for the first wicket. Captain Lakshya scored 58 runs. However, after this the Indian innings faltered. VK Vineet and Arjun Rajput also failed to play big innings. From here Manal Chauhan and Mohit Ulva kept the team's hopes alive by making an important partnership of 57 runs. Three runs were needed to win on the last ball and Mohit Ulva made India the champion by hitting a four.
India's dominance in Under-19 Asia Cup
The Indian team has been the most successful team in the history of the Under-19 Men's Asia Cup. By defeating Pakistan in 2026, India won the trophy of this tournament for the ninth time. India won this title for the first time in 1989. After this, the Indian team also became champion in 2003, 2012, 2013-14, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. In 2012, the final match between India and Pakistan was a tie, after which both the teams were declared joint winners.
When did India become champion?
India's title journey in the Under-19 Asia Cup is almost four decades old. During this period, the team played many memorable matches and showed its strength in different countries.
- 1989 (Bangladesh): India won its first title of the tournament.
- 2003 (Pakistan): India won the final and captured the trophy for the second time. In this edition, Irfan Pathan had performed brilliantly against Bangladesh by taking 9 wickets.
- 2012 (Malaysia): The final match between India and Pakistan was a tie. After this both the teams were declared joint winners.
- 2013–14 (UAE): India defeated Pakistan to win the title for the third time alone.
- 2016 (Sri Lanka): Indian team won the trophy by defeating Sri Lanka.
- 2018 (Bangladesh): India defeated Sri Lanka by 144 runs in the final.
- 2019 (Sri Lanka): India won the title for the second consecutive time by defeating Bangladesh by 5 runs in a thrilling final.
- 2021 (UAE): The Indian team won the title by defeating Sri Lanka under the Duckworth-Lewis (DLS) rule.
- 2026 (UAE/Oman): India achieved the distinction of becoming champion for the ninth time by defeating Pakistan in the final.
Also read: Under-19 Asia Cup: Aryaveer Sehwag hits fifty with six, India wins by 10 wickets
The trophy was shared between India and Pakistan in 2012
The 2012 final was one of the most memorable matches in the history of the Under-19 Asia Cup. There was a tough competition between India and Pakistan in the final played in Malaysia. The match was tied as the scores of both the teams were equal. After this both the countries were declared joint winners. In this way a shared title was also added to India's account.
In the 2003 Under-19 Asia Cup, the Indian team performed brilliantly and won the title for the second time. Irfan Pathan's performance in this tournament was special. He took 9 wickets for 16 runs in a match against Bangladesh. His performance is counted among the memorable performances of young players of Indian cricket.
Also read: Under-19 Asia Cup: Pakistan defeated India by 3 wickets in a thrilling match
Proved its dominance again by defeating Pakistan
By defeating Pakistan in the 2026 final, the Indian team once again showed how strong its dominance is in junior cricket. India did not give up in the tournament even in difficult circumstances. Chasing the target of 338 runs in the final, the victory on the last ball made this title journey more memorable. By winning the trophy for the ninth time, India further strengthened its dominance in the history of Under-19 Asia Cup.