Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will host a special reception for the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team after their victory over India in the Asia Cup final held in Dubai. The win is being seen as a rare and proud moment for Pakistan cricket, especially at the junior level.

The Under-19 team was greeted with a huge welcome upon their return to Islamabad, as they were given a reception that is usually reserved for senior sides returning to the country. This shows how significant an achievement this was for Pakistan and how much it means to both supporters and officials.

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, called this win a big achievement for Pakistan cricket. Junior cricket often does not get much attention in the country, but this victory against India brought the young players into the spotlight.

Young Heroes Praised as PCB Announces Big Rewards

Batter Sameer Minhas, who scored a match-winning 172 in the final, and fast bowler Ali Reza, who took four wickets, have been praised as future stars of Pakistan cricket. Their performances were key to the team’s success in the final.

See Also: Watch: Pakistan U-19 Asian Cricket Team gets grand welcome in Lahore after title victory against India

Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the head of the Asian Cricket Council and Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister, has been involved in an ongoing issue since the senior Asia Cup. During the tournament in Dubai, the Indian team reportedly refused to take the winners’ trophy from him at the presentation ceremony.

That trophy is still kept at the Asian Cricket Council offices in Dubai, with the matter yet to be settled. Reports also say that Naqvi has announced a cash prize of PKR five million for each Under-19 player, a reward that is very rare for junior cricketers in Pakistan and highlights the importance of this historic win.

The Pakistan U-19 side showed some clinical performances with the bat against India in the final of the U-19 Asia Cup 2025 at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai to lift the title. On their arrival back to Islamabad, all the players received a grand welcome from the fans at the airport, along with getting bouquets and flowers.

Pakistan were exceptional with the bat in the first innings during the game as they posted a massive score of 347 in their allotted 50 overs. They are opening batter, Sameer Minhas, blasted a splendid knock of 172 runs in 113 balls at a strike rate of over 150 with the help of 17 boundaries and nine sixes.

See Also: “Studied India’s…”- Selector Aaqib Javed reveals blueprint to fix Pakistan Cricket’s future

They are number three batter Ahmed Hussain also contributed with 56 runs before their middle struggled to give them the late finish in the innings. However, the score was already a massive one for the Indian team to chase amidst the pressure of the final.

Pakistan players receive grand welcome after winning U-19 Asia Cup 2025

The Indian side kept on losing wickets one after another in the cheese, and were bundled out for 156 runs in 26.2 overs to lose the contest by 191 runs. Ali Raza was excellent with the newborn as he picked up four wickets alone, with three other bowlers sharing the rest of the six wickets among themselves.

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🚨 WARM RECEPTION FOR PAKISTAN U19 TEAM AT ISLAMABAD AIRPORT. 🔥

pic.twitter.com/yIuXLSQzuY

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) December 22, 2025

“We were happy we lost the toss, our plan was the same, to bat first. Sameer Minhas played very well in the last two matches. Not disappointed, it was a very good total, 348. The boys collectively performed, very happy. We lost the first match against India, but the management and support staff kept team morale high; they backed us.” Pakistan captain, Farhan Yousuf, shed light on the presentation.

“It was a good innings by me, I only had in mind to score runs for the team. There was no such pressure for me; I only wanted to play my natural game and did so. We wanted to bat first because it was like a batting track. Very memorable for me.” The player of the match and the tournament, Sameer Minhas, addressed the crowd.

The final of the Men’s U-19 Asia Cup 2025 between India and Pakistan at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai saw several heated exchanges between the two sides as the Indian side was asked to chase down a massive total after they opted to bowl first, having won the toss on a flat surface, which didn’t offer any help to the bowlers.

Sameer Minhas, the opening batter of the Pakistan side, smashed a fine knock of 172 runs in just 113 deliveries at a strike rate of 152.21 with the help of 17 boundaries and nine sixes while their number four batter, Ahmed Hussain, also claimed a fantastic knock of 56 runs in 72 balls at a strike rate of nearly 80, with the help of two fours and one six.

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Ayush Mhatre, the Indian captain, didn’t have a great event with the bat so far, and he continued the same off-form with two runs in just seven balls. He played an uppish shot off the full length region against Ali Raza and was caught at the mid-on region inside the ring.

Ayush Mhatre engaged in heated conversation with Ali Raza

Apart from the two vital knocks or even the 35 runs at number three by Usman Khan, none of the Pakistan batters contributed to the total as their middle order went through a slump in the batting department. At one stage, they were 302/3 in the 43rd over of the innings and went on to lose the next five wickets for 25 runs.

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Ayush Mhatre abused a pakistani player , What did he say in the last. pic.twitter.com/7bq6sDmy5C

— Vivek (@ivkev2006s) December 21, 2025

India didn’t make a good start in the chase. They perhaps were too aggressive in the chase and kept losing wickets one after another in the second innings. Vaibhav Suyavanshi played a tiny knock of 26 runs in 10 balls with the help of three sixes at a strike rate of 260.

India U-19 side now find themselves at 68/5 in their 10.2 overs and are likely to lose the contest from this position. For Pakistan, both Ali Raza and Mohammad Sayyam have picked up two wickets each.

A controversial moment took place between the India A vs Pakistan A clash during the Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 clash at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. The incident took place regarding a relay catch between Nahal Wadhera and Naman Dhir that was ultimately ruled as ‘not out’ by the third umpire. 

India A had set the modest target of 137 runs after experiencing a significant batting collapse, while the opponent opening batters, especially Maaz Sadaqat, were in special touch as he smashed a dominating knock of a 31-ball fifty. As the turning point occurred on the first ball of the 10th over, when Suyash Sharma induced a lofted shot from Maaz towards the deep region.

See Also: Watch: Naman Dhir takes brilliant catch to dismiss Mohammad Naim in IND A vs PAK A Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025

Wadhera chased the shot towards the boundary line while being airborne outside the rope. He managed to flick the delivery back into play as Naman Dhir completed what appeared to be a valid catch inside the field. However, the umpires didn’t give the dismissal as Sadaqat continued batting.

Watch: India A denied wicket of Maaz Sadaqat during IND-A vs PAK-A Rising Stars 2025

Once the screen displayed ‘not out’, it stunned the Indian players. Captain Jitesh Sharma immediately clarified the decision with the officials. The decision was based on the significant change of boundary fielding announced by the MCC in June 2025.

 

 

 

 

 

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Law 19.5.2 addressed the confusion around the airborne relay attempts and the multiple touches outside the field of play. The previous rules and regulations would have given it out, but the current ones require all the fielders who touch the ball to meet the specific grounding requirements. A fielder can touch the ball once while airborne outside the boundary.

The controversy deepened when neither a six nor a single run was awarded to the Pakistan Shaheens on the delivery as the batters didn’t cross the crease. Pakistan completed a comfortable chase in the second innings and has qualified for the semi-final of the tournament.

Pakistan Shaheens’ openers Yasir Khan and Khawaja Nafay were involved in a heated on-field exchange after a disastrous mix-up led to a chaotic run-out during their Top End T20 series clash against Bangladesh A. The tournament, serving as a curtain-raiser, features a mix of Australian state academy teams, Big Bash League sides, and international outfits, including Pakistan A, Bangladesh A, and Nepal. The incident occurred in the 12th over, shortly after the duo had given the Shaheens a flying start with a commanding 118-run opening stand, only for it to end in controversy.

The run-out unfolded when Yasir, on strike, attempted to flick the first ball of the over towards the leg side but mistimed it, with the ball striking his pads. At the non-striker’s end, Nafay immediately charged for a quick single, but with the wicketkeeper standing close to the stumps, Yasir refused the run. By the time Nafay realised, he was already near the striker’s crease. The Bangladesh keeper swiftly relayed the ball to the bowler, who removed the bails to complete the dismissal.

See Also: [WATCH] Hardik Pandya returns to Mumbai after completing fitness tests before Asia Cup 2025

The dismissal triggered visible frustration, with Nafay throwing his bat onto the ground in anger. Both batters were seen exchanging heated words, clearly upset over the miscommunication that ended a promising partnership. The moment not only halted the Shaheens’ momentum but also highlighted the tension and pressure of the contest. Despite the clash, the team still had a solid platform to build on, though the emotional fallout from the incident was evident for the remainder of the innings.

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Maybe the two Pakistani openers will talk through their mix up nice and calmly...

Or maybe Yasir and Nafay have a different way of communicating 🫣#TopEndT20 | Live on 7plus pic.twitter.com/40kLUR2PBA

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) August 14, 2025

Pakistan Shaheens cruise to convincing victory in T20 series opener

Despite the heated run-out incident, Pakistan Shaheens maintained their dominance, posting a mammoth 227/4 in their 20 overs. Yasir Khan (61) and Khawaja Nafay (62) laid the foundation with brilliant half-centuries, while Abdul Samad’s quick-fire 56 kept the momentum going. The aggressive batting display ensured the early mix-up didn’t impact the scoreboard, leaving Bangladesh A with a daunting target to chase in the second innings.

In reply, Bangladesh A crumbled to 148 all out, handing the Shaheens a commanding 79-run victory. Early trouble struck as Mohammad Naim fell for 5, but a resilient 86-run stand between Jishan Alam (33) and Saif Hassan (57) offered brief hope. However, a middle-order collapse followed, with only Nurul Hasan (22) showing some fight. Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the innings, with Saad Masood and Faisal Akram each claiming three wickets to seal the emphatic win.