The Under-19 Asia Cup final is scheduled for Sunday in Dubai. The Indian team topped their group without losing a single match and now aims to defeat Pakistan to win the trophy for a record 12th time.
India vs Pakistan: India’s Stellar Performance
The Indian team, captained by Ayush Mhatre, won all their matches in the group stage. They defeated Pakistan by 90 runs in their group stage encounter.
In the semi-final, they beat Sri Lanka by 8 wickets. The team has scored over 400 runs twice in their batting performances.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 171 runs off 95 balls against UAE, while Abhigyan Kundu scored an unbeaten 209 runs off 125 balls against Malaysia, becoming the first to score a double century in a Youth ODI.
In the middle order, Aaron George consistently scored well, and Vihan Malhotra added an unbeaten 61 runs against Sri Lanka. All-rounder Kanishk Chauhan contributed with both bat and ball, taking 3/33 against Pakistan in the group stage match.
Pakistan’s Challenge
Pakistan’s only loss in the group stage was against India. They defeated defending champions Bangladesh in the semi-final.
Their batting has been somewhat inconsistent, but Sameer Minhas scored an unbeaten 177 against Malaysia and a half-century against Bangladesh. In bowling, Abdul Subhan is among the top wicket-takers with 11 wickets.
He is supported by fast bowlers Mohammad Sayyam and Ali Raza, while the spin attack includes Nikhab Shafiq and Ahmed Hussain. Pakistan has won the tournament once in 2012 and has been the runner-up twice.
The match will start at 10:30 AM at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai. Players from both teams will follow a no-handshake policy.
The Indian senior team defeated Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup T20 in September, and the junior team will be hoping to do the same.
Indian bowler Deepesh Devendran has taken 11 wickets, including 5/22 against Malaysia and three consecutive wickets against Pakistan. Stopping Pakistan’s batting will be a crucial factor.
