Arjun Rajput played the innings of his young life on Sunday, and it still was not enough. The 19-year-old from Jalandhar smashed 107 off 85 balls to drag India out of deep trouble against Pakistan, but Hamza Zahoor answered with an unbeaten century of his own as Pakistan won a low-scoring thriller by three wickets in the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup at Al Amerat in Oman.
It was the kind of match that reminds you why India-Pakistan games, at any level, carry their own weight. India were 42 for 4 after choosing to bat first. Pakistan were in trouble too during the chase. In the end, one calm hundred beat another brave one, and India suffered their first defeat of the tournament.
Rajput rescues India from 42 for 4
India’s top order had no answers early on. Skipper Lakshya Raichandani, Aryaveer Sehwag, VK Vineeth and Yashbardhan Chauhan all departed in quick succession, and at 42 for 4 the innings was in danger of folding for very little. Rajput, batting at number five, decided attack was the only way out.
The left-hander reached his fifty off 43 balls and kept going. He completed his century in 80 balls, striking 11 fours and five sixes, and by the time he was dismissed for 107, India had reached 170 for 7 in the 36th over. His 107 accounted for more than half of India’s eventual total of 208.
The next best score in the Indian innings tells the story of the day. Aryaveer Sehwag made 22 and Kavya Prasad Patel added 23, but nobody else crossed 25. Pakistan’s bowlers shared the damage evenly, with Ali Raza taking 3 for 37, Rizwanullah 3 for 24 and slow left-arm spinner Niqab Shafiq 3 for 42. India were bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs.
Zahoor holds his nerve in the chase
Chasing 209, Pakistan also wobbled early and lost wickets at regular intervals. Just when the match looked like it could swing India’s way, Hamza Zahoor settled in and refused to be moved.
Zahoor finished unbeaten on 100 off 108 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes, and struck the winning boundary to complete his century and seal the match in the same shot. He found support from Hasnain Abbas Dar in a rebuilding stand that took the game away from India, and Pakistan reached the target with three wickets in hand. Zahoor was named Player of the Match.
For India, the bowlers had done enough to make a game of it after such a modest total, but they could not find the breakthrough when it mattered most. Two centuries in one low-scoring match is rare at this level, and both came under real pressure.
What the result means for Group A
Both teams had won their opening matches. India beat Nepal in their first Group A fixture, while Pakistan opened with a win over the UAE. This result puts Pakistan in the stronger position in the group, but India are far from out of it.
- Group A: India, Pakistan, Nepal and UAE. The top two teams qualify for the semi-finals.
- India’s next match: against the UAE, a game India will now want to win convincingly.
- Semi-finals: scheduled for November 26 and 27, with the final on November 29.
- Tournament: ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2026, played at Al Amerat in Oman.
The defeat will sting, especially because it came against Pakistan, but the format gives India room to recover. A win over the UAE in the next game would put them back on course for the knockouts.
Who is Arjun Rajput?
For many Indian fans, Sunday was the first time they had heard the name Arjun Rajput. It is unlikely to be the last. Born on March 14, 2007, in Jalandhar, Punjab, the left-handed all-rounder comes from a humble background. His father sold chhole-kulche from a cart, a detail that has already made his century one of the most talked-about innings of the tournament.
Rajput arrived in Oman on the back of a strong domestic season, scoring 695 runs and taking 11 wickets in eight matches, a run that earned him a Player of the Tournament award. Against Pakistan, with his team in trouble and the occasion at its biggest, he showed exactly why the selectors rate him so highly.
He also bowled in the tournament opener against Nepal, where he was part of the attack that dismantled the opposition batting. India will need more from him, with bat and ball, if they are to go deep in this competition.
FAQs
What was the result of India vs Pakistan in the U19 Asia Cup?
Pakistan beat India by three wickets at Al Amerat in Oman on Sunday, November 8, 2026, chasing down India’s 208 with three wickets in hand.
How many runs did Arjun Rajput score?
Arjun Rajput scored 107 off 85 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes. It was his maiden international century, and it came off just 80 balls.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Pakistan’s Hamza Zahoor, who finished unbeaten on 100 off 108 balls and hit the winning boundary to complete his century.
Who does India play next in the U19 Asia Cup?
India face the UAE in their next Group A match. The top two teams from the group qualify for the semi-finals on November 26 and 27.
Where is the U19 Asia Cup 2026 being played?
The ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 is being played at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, with the final scheduled for November 29.
India will take the positives from Rajput’s hundred and move on quickly. In a short tournament, there is little time to dwell on a defeat, even one against Pakistan. The UAE game is now a must-win in all but name, and the team that turns up there will need the same fight Rajput showed on Sunday, from more than one batter this time.
