Three runs needed off the last ball. One wicket in hand. A number 10 batter on strike against Pakistan in a final. On Saturday night in Muscat, Mohit Ulva did what Indian cricket fans will be talking about for years. He swung the final delivery away for four, and India Under-19 were champions of Asia once again.
India beat Pakistan by one wicket in a last-ball thriller to clinch the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, chasing down a stiff target of 338 to finish at 339 for 9. It is India’s ninth Under-19 Asia Cup title, a record-extending triumph and their first since 2021.
Pakistan post 337 after Usman Khan’s century
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first, and for much of the afternoon that decision looked like the right one. Opener Usman Khan anchored the innings with a superb 107, Abdul Qadir added 80, and captain Farhan Yousaf chipped in with 63 as Pakistan posted 337 for 9 in their 50 overs.
India’s bowlers kept chipping away without ever quite breaking the innings open. Kavya Patel finished with 4 for 68, and Chigurupati Venkata picked up 3 for 40.
Raichandani and Sehwag set up the chase
India’s reply began the way a big chase should. Captain Lakshya Raichandani led from the front with 80, and Aaryavir Sehwag, who had lit up the tournament with a hundred earlier, added 58. The pair kept India in touch with the asking rate, and at the halfway stage the chase looked very much alive.
Then Pakistan’s bowlers dragged the game back. Rizwanullah took 3 for 53 and Niqab Shafiq claimed 2 for 57, and India slid to 252 for 8 in the 42nd over. With 86 still needed and only two wickets left, the final was slipping away.
Ulva and Chauhan turn the final on its head
That is when the match changed completely. Manal Chauhan, batting at number nine, joined Mohit Ulva at the crease, and the pair refused to fold. Chauhan made 47 off 32 balls in a 57-run stand that dragged India back into the contest, and Ulva, who had endured a lean tournament with the bat until then, played the innings of his young life.
Walking in at number 10, Ulva struck five fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 49 off just 26 balls. When the ninth wicket fell in the 48th over, he found Chigurupati Venkata for company, and the pair took the chase into the final over with eight runs still needed. Ulva opened the last over with a four and a six, and with three needed off the final ball, he smashed leg-spinner Ahmed Hussain’s delivery wide of long-off for a boundary.
The ball bounced once and raced to the rope. The Indian team ran onto the field. India had won by one wicket, off the very last ball of the match.
Player of the Match: Ulva’s belief pays off
Ulva was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 49, and afterwards he spoke about the belief that carried him through the innings. He said he had faith in himself and in God, and that he was simply waiting for the one ball he could hit. After a quiet tournament with the bat, he picked the biggest stage of all to deliver.
The win drew praise from the top. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team, calling it an outstanding day for Indian cricket, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the triumph would inspire young cricketers across the country.
What this title means for Indian cricket
The result matters beyond the trophy. India’s Under-19 setup has long been the pipeline that feeds the senior team, and a title won this way, from 252 for 8 in a final against Pakistan, says plenty about the temperament of this group. Raichandani’s leadership, Sehwag’s consistency, and Ulva’s calm under the most extreme pressure are exactly the qualities selectors look for.
It also settles a score from earlier in the tournament: Pakistan had beaten India by three wickets in the group stage. The final gave India the last word, and they took it off the final ball.
FAQs
Who won the U19 Asia Cup 2026 final?
India beat Pakistan by one wicket in the final at Al Amerat in Muscat on 14 November 2026, chasing 338 to finish at 339 for 9.
Who was the hero of the final?
Mohit Ulva, batting at number 10, made an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls and hit the winning boundary off the final delivery. He was named Player of the Match.
How many U19 Asia Cup titles has India won?
Nine. The 2026 triumph is India’s record-extending ninth title, and their first since 2021.
What were the key scores in the final?
Pakistan made 337 for 9 (Usman Khan 107, Abdul Qadir 80). India replied with 339 for 9 (Lakshya Raichandani 80, Aaryavir Sehwag 58, Mohit Ulva 49 not out, Manal Chauhan 47).
Where was the final played?
At the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 2) near Muscat in Oman on Saturday, 14 November 2026.
India’s young guns have done it the hard way, and Indian cricket has a new last-ball hero in Mohit Ulva. The ninth star is on the shirt, and this one will be remembered for a long time.
