DUBAI — India clinched the Under-19s Asia Cup championship on Sunday following a tense and hard-fought final against Pakistan, prevailing in a dramatic encounter that went down to the wire.
After winning the toss, Pakistan elected to field first, putting pressure on the Indian batting lineup early in the title clash. India was forced to make a strategic adjustment to their playing eleven prior to the match, omitting leading wicket-taker Ishan Sood due to a back niggle and replacing him with Chigurupati Venkata.
The turning point of the innings arrived in the closing stages as the lower-middle order staged a decisive recovery. Batters Manal Chauhan, Mohit Ulva, and C Venkata combined forces to ransack 87 crucial runs during the final 51 balls of the innings, shifting the momentum firmly toward their side.
The late-innings onslaught proved decisive in setting a competitive target that ultimately halted Pakistan's championship ambitions. With this high-pressure victory, the squad successfully defended their regional standing in a tournament featuring the continent's top junior cricketing talent.