Pakistan’s emphatic win over India in the U19 Asia Cup 2025 final did more than secure the trophy, it reignited discussions around Sarfaraz Ahmed’s future role in Pakistan cricket. The junior team’s title triumph has earned Sarfaraz widespread praise and sparked growing calls for his elevation to the senior national setup.
Coaching roles in Pakistan cricket have often been marked by frequent changes, with appointments rarely lasting long. Against that backdrop, the U19 team’s success under Sarfaraz has stood out, prompting fans to demand continuity and greater responsibility for the former Pakistan captain.
Following Pakistan’s comfortable victory over India on Sunday, a fan was seen appealing directly to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, urging him to appoint Sarfaraz as the mentor of the senior men’s team for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The emotional appeal quickly went viral across social media platforms.
In the video, the fan invoked a popular Bollywood reference, saying, “Sarfaraz kabhi dhoka nahi deta” (“Sarfaraz never lets you down”). He went on to add, “He won you the Champions Trophy in 2017. Today, we’ve won another title. Please make him the mentor for the T20 World Cup 2026.”
“Sarfaraz never cheated!”
Emotional fan hugs Sarfaraz Ahmed after #Pakistan‘s #U19AsiaCup win over arch-rival #India, pic.twitter.com/cahimKzWqc— Kaff Digital (@KaffDigital) December 21, 2025
On the field, Pakistan’s dominance was underlined by a sensational batting display from Sameer Minhas, who smashed a stunning 172 off 113 balls to propel Pakistan to a formidable 347 for 8. India’s chase never gained momentum, and the scale of their collapse was reflected in the fact that tailender Deepesh Devendran emerged as the top-scorer with 36 off just 16 balls, as India were bowled out for 156.
Despite the heavy defeat in the final, India captain Ayush Mhatre chose to focus on the positives from the tournament.
“They batted really well and it was an off day for us. There was some inconsistency in our bowling and fielding, but these things happened. The plan was to bat for 50 overs. Overall, the tournament was good for us, there were positives and players stepped up,” Mhatre said during the presentation ceremony.
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