Pakistan gear up to face arch-rivals India in the highly anticipated clash of the ACC U19 Asia Cup 2023. The showdown between Pakistan U19 and India U19 will unfold at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai this Sunday, promising an intense battle on the cricket field.
Pakistan U19 kicked off their U19 Asia Cup campaign with an impressive seven-wicket triumph over Nepal U19 at the ICC Cricket Academy. The decision to bowl first paid off, with 18-year-old pacer Zeeshan stealing the spotlight by taking six wickets for just 19 runs.
His outstanding performance ranked as the second-best at this level for a Pakistan bowler, trailing only Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 6-15 against Ireland U19 in 2018.
In pursuit of 153, Pakistan faced an early challenge at 23-2, but a resilient partnership between skipper Saad Baig and Azan Awais, worth 108 runs off 107 balls, steered the team to victory.
Zeeshan, not only a star with the ball but also a handy batsman, contributed a fiery 20 runs in just eight balls, including two fours and two sixes.
With an impressive net run rate of +2.770, Pakistan displayed dominance by dismissing the opposition in 47.2 overs and achieving the target in a mere 26.2 overs.
Recalling their last encounter in 2021, Pakistan U19 emerged victorious against India U19 in a thrilling contest at the ICC Academy Ground No 2.
Led by Qasim Akram, the team secured a two-wicket win, with Mohammad Shahzad earning the player of the match title for his crucial 81 runs in the chase of a 238-run target.
