An unbeaten century from Hamza Zahoor powered Pakistan Under-19 to a thrilling three-wicket victory over arch-rivals India, securing the Green-shirts a place in the semi-finals of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 209 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, Pakistan reached 211 for seven in 48.1 overs, achieving the target with 11 balls remaining.
Wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor delivered a match-winning performance, scoring an unbeaten 100 from 108 deliveries to guide Pakistan home after the team faced a difficult start to its innings.
Zahoor Leads the Chase
Pakistan struggled early in their run chase, losing wickets at regular intervals and slipping to 61 for five. With the pressure mounting, Zahoor held his ground and kept the innings on track.
His composed knock included 10 boundaries and three sixes, as he displayed patience and attacking intent when required.
Hasnain Abbas Dar played an important supporting role, contributing 38 runs from 67 balls. The pair built a crucial sixth-wicket partnership that brought Pakistan back into contention and laid the foundation for the victory.
India’s bowlers attempted to put Pakistan under pressure, with Manal Chauhan taking three wickets for 32 runs and Mohit Ulva claiming two for 45. However, Zahoor remained unbeaten and ensured his team crossed the finish line.
Rajput Scores a Century
Earlier, India were bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs after being sent in to bat.
Arjun Rajput was the standout performer for India, scoring an impressive 107 from just 85 deliveries. His innings featured 11 fours and five sixes, helping India post a competitive total despite losing partners at the other end.
Rajput kept the Indian innings together and looked set to take his team to a bigger score, but Pakistan’s bowlers continued to make breakthroughs and prevented the opposition from building substantial partnerships.
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Pakistan Bowlers Deliver
Pakistan’s bowling attack shared the responsibility effectively, with Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Niqab Shafiq taking three wickets each.
Rizwanullah was particularly economical, conceding only 24 runs in his seven overs while claiming three wickets.
Ali Raza also delivered an impressive performance, finishing with figures of three for 37 in his 10 overs.
Their contributions restricted India to 208, giving Pakistan a manageable target despite Rajput’s outstanding century.
Semi-Final Qualification
The victory marked Pakistan’s second consecutive win in Group A and confirmed their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
Hamza Zahoor’s unbeaten century proved decisive in a closely contested encounter, while the bowlers’ combined effort ensured India could not post a larger total.
Pakistan are still scheduled to face Nepal in their remaining group-stage fixture. However, their victory over India has already secured their progress to the last four, giving the defending champions a significant boost as they continue their title campaign.
