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November 8, 2026

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Hamza Zahoor’s Unbeaten Century Powers Pakistan Past India Into U19 Asia Cup Semi-Finals

Faizan Altaf

Pakistan’s young cricketers produced one of the great comebacks of the Under-19 Asia Cup on Sunday, beating arch-rivals India by three wickets in a tense Group A match in Oman — and the hero was a 100 not out from wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor, who walked in with his team in deep trouble and stayed until the very last ball of the chase.

Chasing 209 to win at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Pakistan had slipped to 61 for five in the 15th over. The match looked lost. Then Zahoor, batting at number seven, played the innings of his young life: an unbeaten 100 from 108 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes, to take the defending champions home with 11 balls to spare — and into the semi-finals.

He finished the job in style, too. The winning runs came from a cover-driven four that also brought up his century, sparking wild celebrations in the Pakistan camp.

A chase that almost fell apart

Pakistan’s chase of 209 started badly and got worse. India’s bowlers struck early and often, removing the top order cheaply and leaving the defending champions five wickets down with only 61 runs on the board.

At that point, India were firmly in control. A target of 209 had looked modest when Pakistan’s bowlers had restricted India to 208 all out, but suddenly the same total felt a long way away. One more wicket, and Pakistan’s lower order would have been exposed with more than 140 runs still needed.

That is when Hamza Zahoor walked out to bat. What followed was a masterclass in calm, sensible batting under pressure — the kind of innings that wins tournaments and makes reputations.

The partnership that changed the match

Zahoor found the perfect partner in Hasnain Abbas Dar. Together, the pair added 107 runs for the sixth wicket, slowly turning the match back Pakistan’s way. Dar played the supporting role superbly, scoring 38 from 67 balls with two fours, holding one end while Zahoor took on the bowling.

The partnership was built on patience and smart cricket. Zahoor reached his half-century from 54 balls, mixing careful defence with timely boundaries. He did not panic when wickets fell at the other end. He did not try to finish the match in a hurry. He simply kept Pakistan in the game, over after over, until the target came within reach.

Even after Dar fell, Zahoor kept going. He added an unbroken 26 runs for the eighth wicket with Niqab Shafiq, guiding the lower order across the finish line. Pakistan reached 211 for seven in 48.1 overs, winning by three wickets.

Zahoor was named Player of the Match — an easy decision after an innings that combined skill, nerve and perfect timing.

The note that predicted a fifty — and delivered a hundred

There was a delightful detail to Zahoor’s century. After the match, he revealed that he had written himself a note before the game. It read: “Tomorrow’s match 50 inshallah, Hamza Zahoor, I am the best.”

He scored double what he had written down. His fifty came from 54 balls; his century came with the winning boundary. It was a small glimpse into the self-belief of a young player who backed himself in the biggest match of the tournament so far — and delivered.

Stories like that are part of what makes youth cricket so enjoyable. The players are young, the emotions are raw, and the belief is total. Zahoor’s note showed a young cricketer who expected to succeed. His innings showed he had the ability to match it.

Rajput’s lone fight for India

India will feel this defeat keenly, because they had one batsman who did almost everything right. Arjun Rajput scored a superb 107 from 85 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes, and almost single-handedly gave India a total worth defending.

India’s innings had started terribly. Captain and opener Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani was out for a duck off just the second ball, and India soon slipped to 22 for three. Their top order had collapsed, and the match was drifting away from them before it had really begun.

Rajput walked in at number five with his team in trouble, and he counter-attacked brilliantly. He found the boundary regularly, punished anything loose, and gave India’s innings the backbone it badly needed. But he received little support from the other end. The next best scores were 23 from Kavya Paresh Patel and 22 from Aaryavir Sehwag, and Rajput was the seventh batsman dismissed, with India’s score at 170.

India were eventually bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs — a total that looked below par on a good batting surface, and so it proved.

Pakistan’s bowlers set it up

Pakistan’s bowlers deserve plenty of credit for keeping India to 208. The pace trio of Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Mohammad Sayyam rattled India’s top order early, and left-arm spinner Niqab Shafiq unsettled the middle order.

Rizwanullah was the pick of the attack with three wickets for 24 runs, while Ali Raza took three for 37 and Shafiq three for 42. Sayyam claimed one wicket for 27 runs. Between them, they made sure Rajput’s century did not turn into a match-winning total for India.

It was a proper team bowling effort: fast bowlers up front, spin in the middle, and pressure from both ends. India never managed a partnership big enough to build on, apart from Rajput’s lone stand.

India’s bowlers, to their credit, fought hard in reply. Manal Chauhan took three wickets for 32 runs and Mohit Ulva claimed two for 45. For a long stretch, it looked as though their early strikes would be enough. In the end, they simply ran into a batsman who refused to get out.

What the win means

The victory takes Pakistan to the top of Group A with four points from two matches, after back-to-back wins. India have two points from two games, with one win and one defeat. Both teams still have one group match each to play, and the top two sides go through to the semi-finals.

Crucially, Pakistan’s second straight win has already secured their place in the last four, with a group match against Nepal still in hand. They will go into the semi-finals as defending champions — and as a team that knows how to win the big moments.

Pakistan won the last edition of the tournament in style, beating India by a huge 191 runs in the final in Dubai. This win was far closer, and in some ways more impressive: it required character, calm heads and a match-winning innings from a number seven under real pressure.

The rivalry between these two teams at under-19 level has been one-sided in recent years. This was Pakistan’s fifth victory over India at this level since 2021, with India winning two matches in the same period. For Pakistan’s young players, beating India never gets old. For India’s, the wait for a win over their rivals goes on.

A tournament that keeps delivering

Pakistan’s campaign began with a comfortable nine-wicket win over the UAE in their Asia Cup opener, powered by Usman Khan’s 139. That win set the tone, but the India match was the real test — the game every player and fan circles on the calendar.

Under-19 tournaments are often where future stars announce themselves. The players on show in Oman are mostly unknown to the wider cricket world, but some of them will go on to play international cricket. Innings like Zahoor’s — a hundred under pressure against the biggest rivals, from a position of 61 for five — are exactly the kind of performances that selectors and fans remember.

For Pakistan, the challenge now is to carry this momentum into the semi-finals. A win like this can lift a whole squad, but it can also bring pressure. The next step is to finish the group stage strongly against Nepal and then prepare for the knockout rounds, where one bad day ends a tournament.

For India, there is still everything to play for. They sit second in the group, and a win in their final group match would take them through as well. Rajput’s century showed they have the batting talent. The lesson from this match is that one big innings is rarely enough — they need more batsmen to stand up alongside him.

Scorecard summary

India U19: 208 all out, 46.3 overs (Arjun Rajput 107, Kavya Paresh Patel 23, Aaryavir Sehwag 22; Rizwanullah 3-24, Ali Raza 3-37, Niqab Shafiq 3-42)

Pakistan U19: 211-7, 48.1 overs (Hamza Zahoor 100 not out, Hasnain Abbas Dar 38, Abdul Qadir 20, Usman Khan 16; Manal Chauhan 3-32, Mohit Ulva 2-45)

Result: Pakistan won by three wickets, with 11 balls to spare

Player of the Match: Hamza Zahoor

What happens next

Pakistan finish their group campaign against Nepal, with a semi-final place already secured. India must win their final group game to join them in the last four. The top two teams from each group advance, and the knockout rounds will decide who lifts the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup.

Pakistan will be confident. They are defending champions, they are top of the group, and they have just beaten their biggest rivals from a losing position. But in knockout cricket, none of that counts for anything if the team does not perform on the day. The semi-final will be a new test — and after Sunday’s escape, Pakistan’s young side will believe they can pass it.

For Hamza Zahoor, the hundred against India will be the innings he is remembered for at this tournament, whatever happens next. He walked in at 61 for five, with his team heading for defeat, and walked off unbeaten on 100, with the match won. That is the stuff of cricketing dreams — and he had written it down before the match even started.

Frequently asked questions

Who won the Pakistan vs India U19 Asia Cup match?

Pakistan won by three wickets. Chasing India’s total of 208, Pakistan reached 211 for seven in 48.1 overs, with 11 balls to spare, in the Group A match at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Sunday, 8 November 2026.

Who scored a century for Pakistan?

Wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor scored an unbeaten 100 from 108 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. He came in with Pakistan struggling at 61 for five and stayed until the end, hitting the winning runs with a boundary that also brought up his hundred. He was named Player of the Match.

Who was India’s top scorer?

Arjun Rajput scored 107 from 85 balls, with 11 fours and five sixes. He came in with India reeling at 22 for three and almost single-handedly lifted them to 208 all out.

Have Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals?

Yes. The win over India was Pakistan’s second in a row in Group A, and it secured their place in the semi-finals with a group match against Nepal still to play. Pakistan top the group with four points from two matches.

Are Pakistan the defending champions?

Yes. Pakistan won the previous edition of the ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup, beating India by 191 runs in the final in Dubai.

Conclusion

Hamza Zahoor’s unbeaten century was the perfect reply to a match that seemed lost. From 61 for five, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter rebuilt the chase with Hasnain Abbas Dar, held his nerve as wickets fell around him, and finished the job with the winning boundary that took him to 100 not out.

It was a win built on teamwork — the bowlers restricting India to 208, Dar’s steady 38, and Zahoor’s brilliance at the end — and it sends the defending champions into the semi-finals full of belief. India, despite Arjun Rajput’s outstanding 107, were left to wonder how a match they controlled for so long slipped away.

In a rivalry that always matters, this was a match that will be remembered — and a young cricketer who wrote down that he would score fifty, then went out and scored a hundred, will not be forgotten in a hurry.

Sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.

Faizan Altaf

Faizan Altaf is the founder and author of findivoza.com, a news blog covering world, Pakistan, business, technology, health and sport in plain English. He writes for general readers who want clear, trustworthy news without jargon. His work focuses on explaining what happened, why it matters, and what to watch next.

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