The Pakistan U19 Asia Cup campaign stayed perfect on Monday as Pakistan beat Nepal by 101 runs at Al Amerat in Oman to complete a clean sweep of Group A, finishing top of the group unbeaten and booking a place in the semi-finals of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026.
The tournament, being played in Oman, brought Pakistan together with the United Arab Emirates, India and Nepal in Group A. As defending champions, Pakistan were the side to beat in the group, and captain Farhan Yousaf’s young team handled that pressure across three very different matches: a routine opening win, a famous chase against India, and a commanding performance against Nepal to finish the job.
Pakistan arrived in Oman as the team to beat after winning the previous edition of the tournament, beating India by 191 runs in the final in Dubai, and the group stage has done nothing to change that billing. Three matches have brought three wins, each in a different way: a nine-wicket stroll in the opener, a rescue act against India, and a 101-run statement against Nepal.
Nepal Dismissed for 174 as Pakistan Make It Three From Three
Pakistan posted 275 for 7 after batting first against Nepal on Monday 10 November, a total that always looked beyond reach once the chase began to slip. Nepal were bowled out for 174, leaving Pakistan winners by 101 runs and the only unbeaten side in Group A, with three wins from three matches.
It was the most commanding of the three victories, and it sealed a perfect Pakistan U19 Asia Cup group campaign. The win also means Pakistan carry real momentum into the semi-final on Thursday 12 November, with the batting having posted a big total and the bowling having closed out a chase with room to spare.
The points table tells the same story: Pakistan finish the group with six points from three matches, the maximum available, and go into the knockout stage as the team nobody wants to meet.
Group A Results at a Glance
- Pakistan beat the United Arab Emirates by nine wickets in the opening match
- Pakistan beat India by three wickets, chasing 208 to reach 209 for 7
- Pakistan beat Nepal by 101 runs, scoring 275 for 7 against Nepal’s 174
The Pakistan U19 Asia Cup Win Over India That Defined the Group
The defining result of the group came a day earlier, on Sunday 8 November, against India, in the match every player on both sides had circled when the fixtures came out. India batted first and made 208 all out in 46.3 overs, a total built almost entirely on one innings: Arjun Rajput scored 107 off 85 balls to hold the Indian innings together.
Pakistan’s bowlers shared the work of keeping India within reach. Ali Raza took 3 for 37, Rizwanullah 3 for 24 and Niqab Shafiq 3 for 42, so that even with Rajput’s hundred, the target stayed at a chaseable 209 rather than drifting towards 250.
The chase then produced the innings of the tournament so far. Pakistan slumped to 61 for 5 and looked beaten, before wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor, batting at number seven, turned the match on its head. Zahoor finished unbeaten on 100 off 108 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes, and found support from Hasnain Abbas Dar, who made 38. Pakistan reached 209 for 7 in 48.1 overs, winning by three wickets with 11 balls to spare, and Zahoor was named Player of the Match.
A bat and ball: Pakistan’s young batters produced the innings of the tournament in the chase against India.
Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, via Wikimedia Commons
The sweep had begun on the opening day of the group, when Pakistan beat the United Arab Emirates by nine wickets to start their title defence, a result we reported in our coverage of the nine-wicket win over the UAE that set the tone for the week.
R E A D M O R E
Pakistan Beat Australia by One Wicket to Win the Over-40s World Cup
Semi-Final on Thursday, in a Wider Winning Run
Pakistan now move on to the semi-final on Thursday 12 November, with the final of the tournament scheduled for Saturday. For the Pakistan U19 Asia Cup squad, the task is to carry the group’s confidence into the knockout stage, where one bad session can end a campaign that has so far gone entirely to plan.
The juniors’ form also mirrors a bright few weeks for Pakistan cricket at every level. The senior side won the Hong Kong Sixes Plate title earlier this month and has climbed to fourth in the ICC ODI rankings, so the teenagers in Al Amerat are adding their chapter to a season of good news for the country’s cricket.
Sources
- Cricbuzz, Pakistan U19 vs Nepal U19 scorecard
- ESPNcricinfo, India U19 vs Pakistan U19 match page
- Featured photo: Paramgoel, via Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Marie-Lan Nguyen, via Wikimedia Commons
Umar Farooq is the founder and editor of Good News Pakistan. An engineer by profession and a writer by passion, he started the site in December 2022 to share good news from Pakistan, and has since written and edited more than 200 articles about its people, sports, science, business and world records. He believes the story of Pakistan is bigger than its headlines, and that good news, told honestly, is worth telling every day.