India emerged victorious in a thrilling ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup final, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan by one wicket in a last-ball thriller to secure their ninth continental title.
Mohit Ulva turned out to be India’s unlikely match-winner, producing a sensational unbeaten knock of 49 off just 26 balls. Coming in at No. 10, Ulva rescued India from a precarious position with his fearless batting, crediting his faith in God and crucial partnerships for the remarkable victory.
Chasing a challenging target of 338, India were struggling at 252/8 when Ulva launched a counter-attack, smashing five boundaries and three sixes. He first stitched together a crucial 57-run partnership with Manal Chauhan (47), followed by an unbeaten 30-run stand with Chigurupati Venkata (11*). Needing eight runs from the final over, Ulva kept his composure and struck a boundary off the last ball to take India across the finish line.
Named Player of the Match, Ulva said, “I had belief in God in the last over. I believe myself to be an allrounder. This tournament had not gone well for me, but I had belief that I would be able to deliver today.” Earlier, captain Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani contributed 80 runs, while opener Aaryavir Sehwag scored 58 to provide India with a solid start. Sehwag, who finished as Player of the Tournament with 361 runs, said the intensity of an India-Pakistan clash inspired him to continue batting despite being in pain.
Batting first, Pakistan put up a formidable total of 337/9, powered by Usman Khan’s 107 and Abdul Qadir’s quickfire 80. India’s bowling attack was led by Kavya Patel, who claimed four wickets for 68 runs, while Chigurupati Venkata picked up three wickets. Although India suffered a middle-order collapse during the chase, Ulva’s extraordinary late assault and the lower-order partnerships turned the contest around, delivering a memorable Asia Cup triumph for the young Indian side.