India wins U-19 Asia Cup after defeating Pakistan by one wicket
Captain Lakshya Raichandani praised opener Aaryavir Sehwag for his performance during the tournament in Oman.
India's Under-19 cricket team defeated Pakistan by one wicket in the 2026 ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup final in Al Amerat, Oman, on Saturday. According to the Times of India, the victory followed a group-stage defeat against Pakistan earlier in the campaign.
Opener Aaryavir Sehwag was named player of the tournament after scoring 361 runs in five innings. Sehwag scored 58 runs off 61 balls in the final despite sustaining an elbow injury during his innings, according to Rediff.
Sehwag said that the victory eased his pain and that he wanted to score regardless of the blow to his arm to keep pressure on Pakistan. He added that he still had goosebumps and that emotions are high during India-Pakistan matches.
India Under-19 captain Lakshya Raichandani credited Sehwag's attacking batting for taking pressure off the batter at the other end. Raichandani said Sehwag's approach forces opposition bowlers to offer loose deliveries.
Raichandani also lauded the grit of the lower-order batters and the team's belief in chasing the target. He noted that the team's approach was to get a good start in the powerplay and have one set batter stay until the end.