Pakistan crush India to win U19 Asia Cup 2025, end 13-year title drought

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Pakistan ended a 13-year wait for the U19 Asia Cup 2025 title in emphatic fashion, thrashing India by 191 runs in a one-sided final at the ICC Academy on Sunday, December 21. The victory delivered Pakistan only their second U19 Asia Cup crown and their first outright triumph since 2012, when they shared the trophy with India.

The final belonged to opener Sameer Minhas, who produced a sensational 172 off 113 balls, peppered with 17 fours and 9 sixes. It was Minhas’ second century of the tournament and one of the highest individual scores in U19 Asia Cup history.

After a watchful opening phase, Minhas shifted gears decisively, dismantling India’s bowling – particularly the spinners – with clean hitting and smart placement. His innings provided the foundation for a total that quickly moved beyond India’s reach.

Minhas found valuable support from Ahmed Hussain and skipper Farhan Yousaf, as Pakistan’s top order steadily increased the tempo through the middle overs and finished strongly at the death.

Pakistan’s batting approach was measured early before turning ruthless. Once settled, the batters targeted match-ups aggressively, ensuring India never regained control. The ability to rotate strike and then launch boundaries at will kept the scoreboard racing, leaving India facing a daunting chase from the outset.

Chasing 348, India never found momentum. Early wickets inside the powerplay exposed the middle order, and any hopes of a recovery were dashed by regular breakthroughs. Despite brief resistance, none of India’s batters converted starts into substantial scores against Pakistan’s disciplined pace-and-spin combination.

The contrast with the group stage was stark. India, led by Ayush Mhatre, had earlier beaten Pakistan by 90 runs, but the final told a different story as Pakistan’s bowlers exploited pressure and conditions to perfection.

Pakistan’s bowlers backed up the batters with accuracy and intensity, squeezing India for runs and forcing errors. The fielding effort complemented the bowling, turning half-chances into wickets and accelerating India’s collapse to 156 all out.

Congratulations to Pakistan U19 on a memorable Asia Cup victory. Credit to the coaches, selectors, and the entire squad for building a unit that delivered on the big stage 🇵🇰

— Fawad Alam (@iamfawadalam25) December 21, 2025

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The result handed Pakistan their first outright U19 Asia Cup title since 2012, sparking celebrations among fans and the team’s support staff, including head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed. Minhas was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, finishing as the competition’s leading run-scorer and delivering the defining innings of the final.

Sameer Minhas, remember the name 🙌

– 172 off 113 balls against India in the U19 Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai 🔥#SameerMinhas #PakistanCricket #U19AsiaCup

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 21, 2025

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