Pakistan lifted their second U19 Asia Cup title with a crushing 191-run victory over India at the ICC Academy ground in Dubai, in a match that successfully navigated the diplomatic sensitivities that have overshadowed recent India-Pakistan encounters.
The presentation ceremony, carefully choreographed to avoid the confrontation that marred September’s Men’s Asia Cup final, saw Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi hand the trophy to the Pakistani champions while India collected their runner-up medals from Emirates Cricket Board General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani.
India’s no-handshake-with-Pakistan policy that has now extended from the Men’s team to Women’s and youth cricket remained firmly in place, with no formal greetings between the two teams before or after the match.
The awards arrangement prevented a repeat of the Asia Cup trophy standoff, which began after India’s decision to skip the post-match presentation in Dubai. The trophy has since remained under ACC custody in Dubai.
Naqvi was seen celebrating enthusiastically with the Pakistani players and greeting the heavily pro-Pakistan crowd that filled the ICC Academy ground.
Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was present as a mentor with the team, adding experience and guidance to the young squad’s triumphant campaign.
Minhas’ masterclass sets up dominant victory
On the field, Pakistan’s comprehensive victory was built on opener Sameer Minhas’ brilliant 172 off 113 balls, laced with 17 fours and nine sixes. His second century of the tournament helped Pakistan post an imposing 347 for eight.
Minhas received valuable support from Ahmed Hussain, who contributed a well-compiled half-century scoring 56, while Usman Khan added a handy 35 to steady the innings after an early setback. Their combined efforts helped Pakistan post the mammoth total that put India under immense pressure.
India’s chase began explosively despite losing Ayush Mhatre early, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi hammering two sixes and a four off Ali Reza to take 21 runs in the first over. Aaron George joined the assault, caressing Mohammad Sayyam for three consecutive fours in the fourth over as India raced away at 10 runs per over.
But the chase unraveled dramatically when George was dismissed off the last ball of the fourth over, skying a pull shot to Mohammad Shayan inside the circle. The very next delivery brought an even bigger blow, with Suryavanshi’s dismissal for 26 off just 10 balls triggering a collapse. The talented left-hander went for a full-blooded pick-up shot off Reza, but the good-length ball with extra bounce took the edge and nestled in stumper Zahoor Hamza’s gloves.
India slipped from 49 for one to 49 for three in the space of two balls, and the resistance crumbled from there. The tall Pakistan pace attack of Ali Reza, Mohammad Sayyam, and Abdul Subhan hurried the Indian batsmen with consistent hard lengths, bowling them out for just 156 in 26.2 overs. Reza finished with 4/42, while Sayyam and Subhan claimed two wickets each.
Match marred by serious injury
The match’s final moments were overshadowed by a frightening injury to Pakistan’s Muhammad Shayan. With nine Indian wickets down, Shayan suffered a major injury while chasing a ball outside the boundary, his head smashing into the wooden boundary fence as he attempted to take a catch. The young player was immediately stretchered off the field and taken by ambulance to hospital. Naqvi, present at the ground, was seen rushing to the ambulance and checking on Shayan before the ambulance’s departure.
Men’s Asia Cup Trophy issue remains unresolved
Following September’s trophy standoff, the BCCI reportedly wrote a letter to the ACC recently that read in part: “BCCI therefore demands immediate handover of the Asia Cup 2025 trophy and medals to the Indian team/BCCI and a written explanation setting out how and why the awards were withheld at the venue, and on what authority the ACC President took possession of them.”
According to multiple reports, Naqvi responded to the formal letter from the BCCI with a strongly worded reply. In his letter, Naqvi reportedly insisted that the presentation must follow traditional protocol and that the Indian side should collect the trophy from him in person. “The ACC trophy rightly belongs to the Indian cricket team and is being held in trust till such time that a BCCI office holder along with any available participating player can collect the same from the ACC President,” Naqvi stated in his letter.
For now, the Asia Cup trophy reportedly remains at ACC headquarters in Dubai, a symbol of both India’s triumph and the deepening divisions in Asian cricket.
Looking ahead: Trophy standoff and upcoming tournaments
Both teams now turn their attention to the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, set to begin on January 15, 2026, in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Pakistan will arrive with confidence buoyed by this dominant performance, while India will need to regroup quickly from this heavy defeat.
The handshake policy is expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future, including at the Men’s ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February and March. The India-Pakistan match is scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, where once again, no handshakes are anticipated.
For Pakistan’s young champions, however, this was a day of pure celebration. As Naqvi handed them the trophy and the crowd roared its approval, the political tensions that have clouded recent India-Pakistan cricket took a temporary backseat to sporting excellence. Pakistan’s 191-run margin of victory stood as emphatic proof that, at least on this day in Dubai, cricket was the clear winner.
