India won the U19 Asia Cup final on Saturday, 14 November 2026, beating defending champions Pakistan by one wicket off the very last ball at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat, Oman. Chasing 338, India were 252 for 8 and looked beaten before No. 10 batter Mohit Ulva hit an unbeaten 49 from 26 balls and drove the final delivery for four, ESPNcricinfo reported.
India finished on 339 for 9 in 50 overs. It was India’s ninth Under 19 Asia Cup title, according to Sportstar, and it ended Pakistan’s hold on the trophy they won in last year’s final.
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What happened in the U19 Asia Cup final?
Pakistan won the toss and batted. Opener Usman Khan made 107 and Abdul Qadir smashed 80 from 54 balls, with eight sixes. The pair added 135 for the second wicket, and Pakistan were 204 for 2 after 30 overs. Captain Farhan Yousaf then made 63.
India pulled things back late. Kavya Paresh Patel took 4 for 68 and Chigurupati Venkata 3 for 40, and Pakistan managed only 63 runs in the last ten overs while losing six wickets. They closed on 337 for 9.
The Indian reply started slowly on purpose. Captain Lakshya Raichandani scored 80 from 101 balls and shared an opening stand of 95 with Aaryavir Sehwag, by ESPNcricinfo’s count (The Times of India put it at 90). Sehwag was hit on the right forearm in the fifth over and batted on with strapping and painkillers to make 58 from 61 balls.
How did India come back from 252 for 8?
India were 186 for 3 in the 33rd over, but the asking rate kept climbing. Fast bowler Rizwanullah took three wickets through the middle overs, Raichandani fell to a leaping catch at midwicket, and Anvay Dravid was run out off the very next ball. Five wickets went down for 66 runs.
At 252 for 8, India needed 86 from 51 balls. Manal Chauhan, batting at No. 7, and Ulva added 57 in just 35 balls. Chauhan hit three fours and three sixes in his 47 from 32 balls before he was out in the 48th over, leaving 29 to get with one wicket left.
Ulva did not slow down. He took two fours and a six off Mohammad Sayyam in the 49th over, The Times of India reported, which brought the target down to eight from the final over. Pakistan had also been penalised for a slow over rate, so they had to keep an extra fielder inside the circle for the last five overs, India Today noted.
What happened in the last over?
Leg spinner Ahmed Hussain bowled it. Ulva was beaten first ball and only just got his back foot in to survive a stumping. A wide and some singles followed, and No. 11 Venkata survived when a throw missed the stumps at the bowler’s end.
That left three needed off the final ball, with four winning the game outright and a tie meaning a Super Over. Ulva came down the pitch and hit Hussain towards wide long off. The ball went for four, and the Indian bench ran onto the field. Venkata, playing his first game of the tournament, finished on 11 not out from eight balls.
Who is Mohit Ulva?
Ulva is an 18 year old from Jamnagar in Gujarat who has trained at the Cricket Bungalow academy under coach Mahendrasinh Chauhan, the same coach who spotted Ravindra Jadeja, India Today reported. He is mainly seen as a new ball bowler, and he shared the new ball in this final too. He scored 92 on his Youth Test debut against Australia Under 19 earlier in 2026.
His answers at the presentation were as simple as his batting. “My team and my head coach had belief in me. I believe in myself, so that’s it,” he said, according to India Today. Asked what went through his mind in the final over, he replied: “Nothing. I just saw the ball and hit the ball.” He was named Player of the Match.
Sehwag, who scored 160 in the semifinal, was named Player of the Tournament with 361 runs. You can read our report on Aaryavir Sehwag’s 160 that took India into the final. Jamnagar, where Ulva comes from, features in our guide to Gujarat’s history, geography and economy.
Why are India’s celebrations being criticised?
The win has also drawn criticism. Videos shared on social media appear to show some Indian players making inappropriate gestures towards Pakistan wicketkeeper Hamza Zahoor and his teammates after the winning hit. One clip appears to show Manal Chauhan gesturing at Zahoor, and members of India’s support staff reportedly stepped in to calm things down, India Today reported on Sunday.
Pakistan’s Express Tribune said the scenes overshadowed the result. India Today argued the footage should be seen in full context before players are judged, but also said that aiming gestures at beaten opponents is different from celebrating a win. There was no word of any action from the Asian Cricket Council or the BCCI at the time of writing.
What does the win mean for Indian cricket?
The title came on a weekend when India’s senior side was under pressure in New Zealand after being bowled out for 89 in the fourth ODI. For the age group team, the final showed depth beyond the top order. India went into the match without fast bowler Ishan Sood, who was ruled out injured, and they dropped at least three catches and missed a run out, ESPNcricinfo said.
They still won because the lower order refused to give up. Broadcaster Sony Sports Network described it as the highest successful run chase in Under 19 Asia Cup history.
Featured image photo: Acabashi, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. It shows a cricket ball resting against a boundary rope at a club ground in London and is used only as an illustration. It was not taken at the final.
FAQ
Who won the U19 Asia Cup 2026?
India won, beating Pakistan by one wicket off the last ball in the final at Al Amerat, Muscat, on 14 November 2026.
Who was Player of the Match in the U19 Asia Cup final?
Mohit Ulva, for his unbeaten 49 from 26 balls batting at No. 10.
Sources
- ESPNcricinfo, 14 November 2026: match report, scores, partnerships, Sehwag injury, fielding errors.
- Sportstar, 14 November 2026: result and India’s ninth Under 19 Asia Cup title.
- The Times of India, 14 November 2026: ball by ball account of the chase and the 49th over.
- India Today, 14 November 2026: final over, slow over rate penalty, Ishan Sood injury.
- India Today, 14 November 2026: Mohit Ulva’s background.
- India Today, 14 November 2026: Mohit Ulva’s post match quotes.
- India Today, 15 November 2026: celebration controversy and the Sony Sports Network post.
- The Express Tribune, 14 November 2026: Pakistan reaction to the celebrations.