Pakistan beat India by three wickets in a tense Under-19 Asia Cup group match in Muscat on Sunday, as wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor struck an unbeaten 100 to take his team over the line. Pakistan reached 209 for 7 in 48.1 overs, chasing 209, after India had been bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground. Zahoor sealed the win in style, hitting a four off Kavya Patel in the 49th over — the same shot that took him to his hundred.
Rajput Ton Lifts India to 208
India won the toss and chose to bat first, but the start went badly wrong. Ali Raza struck with the second ball of the match, removing captain Lakshya Raichandani for a duck, and India soon slipped to 22 for 3. Aaryavir Sehwag made 22, but wickets kept falling, and India were 70 for 4 when Anvay Dravid fell for 10.
Arjun Rajput then led the fightback. He built a 64-run stand with Manal Chauhan and went on to a maiden Youth ODI hundred, scoring 107 off 85 balls with 11 fours and five sixes.
Rizwanullah broke the stand by removing Chauhan for 11, then dismissed Rajput with India on 170 for 7. The lower order could not recover, and India were bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs. Kavya Patel made 23. For Pakistan, Ali Raza took 3 for 37, Rizwanullah took 3 for 24, and Niqab Shafiq took 3 for 42, while Mohammad Sayyam took 1 for 27.
Pakistan Collapse Before Zahoor Rescue
Pakistan’s chase started just as badly. Usman Khan made 16, Jahangir Bilal fell for 5, Abdul Qadir scored 20, Ahmed Hussain made 8, and captain Farhan Yousaf fell for 2 — leaving Pakistan on 61 for 5 in 14.4 overs.
Zahoor then joined Hasnain Abbas Dar, and the pair rebuilt the innings with a 100-run stand for the sixth wicket. Dar made a patient 38 off 67 balls before falling to Manal Chauhan.
Zahoor reached his fifty off 54 balls and kept going, even after Mohammad Sayyam fell for 4 and Pakistan slipped to 183 for 7. Niqab Shafiq stayed with him, unbeaten on 2, as Zahoor guided Pakistan home. Manal Chauhan was India’s best bowler, taking 3 for 32.
Winning Moment in Final Overs
With four runs needed and Zahoor on 96, the match came down to the 49th over. Zahoor drove the first ball from Kavya Patel through the covers for four — winning the match and bringing up his hundred in one shot.
He finished on 100 not out off 108 balls, with nine fours and three sixes. Pakistan won with 11 balls to spare, a result that looked far from certain when they were five wickets down for 61.
Why Win Matters for Pakistan
This was more than a group win. Pakistan are the defending champions, having beaten India by 191 runs in last season’s final in Dubai, when Sameer Minhas scored 172. Both teams had won their opening matches of this tournament — Pakistan beat the UAE by nine wickets, with Usman Khan scoring an unbeaten 139, while India beat Nepal by 10 wickets.
Pakistan now sit top of Group A with two wins from two matches. The semi-finals are on 12 November and the final on 14 November. For a young side, beating India in a tight chase — after losing five early wickets — is the kind of win that builds belief for the knockout stage.
| India | 208 all out (46.3 overs) | Arjun Rajput 107 (85 balls) |
| Pakistan bowling | Ali Raza 3/37, Rizwanullah 3/24 | Niqab Shafiq 3/42 |
| Pakistan | 209/7 (48.1 overs) | Hamza Zahoor 100* (108 balls) |
| Pakistan batting | Hasnain Abbas Dar 38 | Manal Chauhan 3/32 (India) |
| Result | Pakistan won by 3 wickets | Venue: Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Muscat |
Pakistan won by three wickets, reaching 209 for 7 in 48.1 overs after India made 208 in Muscat on 8 November 2026.
Wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor scored an unbeaten 100 off 108 balls, hitting the winning four to reach his hundred.
Pakistan top Group A with two wins from two matches. The semi-finals are on 12 November and the final is on 14 November.
