India U19 vs Pakistan U19: Hamza Zahoor's 100 beats Arjun Rajput's 107
By Aarav DeshpandeSports Correspondent, Peepals Yuva
Representative image: briankapeesh / Pixabay
Pakistan beat India by three wickets in the U19 Asia Cup in Oman on 8 November 2026, with Hamza Zahoor's unbeaten 100 outweighing Arjun Rajput's 107.
What Happened
Pakistan beat India by three wickets in their Group A match of the ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup in Oman on Sunday, 8 November 2026. India were bowled out for 208 after Arjun Rajput scored 107. Pakistan slipped to 61 for 5 in the chase of 209, but Hamza Zahoor made an unbeaten 100 off 108 balls and hit the winning boundary in the 49th over. The result put Pakistan on top of Group A with two wins from two games, while India have one win and one defeat.
Key Facts
- Match: India U19 vs Pakistan U19, Group A, ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup, played at Al Amerat in Oman on Sunday, 8 November 2026.
- India: 208 all out, with Arjun Rajput scoring 107.
- Pakistan: chased 209 to win by three wickets, finishing in the 49th over after being 61 for 5.
- Hamza Zahoor scored 100 not out off 108 balls and added 107 runs for the sixth wicket with Hasnain Abbas Dar, who made 38.
- Group A after two rounds: Pakistan 4 points (two wins), India 2 points, UAE 2 points, Nepal 0 points, according to the tournament standings.
- India had opened with a 10-wicket win over Nepal, in which Aaryavir Sehwag made 70.
- The tournament runs from 5 to 14 November 2026, with a group stage followed by knockouts.
Why It Matters
Under-19 cricket is where most future international players first face real pressure, and an India-Pakistan game adds the heaviest pressure of all. This match showed both sides of that. Rajput, batting in a side that was bowled out for 208, made more than half of India's runs on his own. Zahoor, walking in with his team in trouble at 61 for 5, played the long innings his side needed rather than chasing quick runs. Selectors watch innings like these closely, because the ability to bat through a collapse is hard to teach.
For India's squad, led by Raichandani and including the sons of former India batters Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, the defeat means the group is no longer straightforward. India now sit level on points with the UAE behind Pakistan, so net run rate, the measure of how quickly a team scores compared with how quickly it concedes, could decide who goes through. The UAE is the one Group A side India have not yet played.
For young readers following the game as a possible career path, the match is also a reminder of how one-day cricket at this level is won. India's total of 208 looked enough when Pakistan were 61 for 5, but India could not take a sixth wicket for more than 100 runs. Bowling depth, not just top-order batting, decides close games.
Peepals calculation: When Pakistan were 61 for 5, they still needed 148 runs (209 minus 61). The Zahoor-Dar stand of 107 supplied about 72% of those runs (107 ÷ 148 ≈ 0.72). On the other side, Rajput's 107 was about 51% of India's 208 (107 ÷ 208 ≈ 0.51), so India's other ten batters and extras together made 101. Our calculation from the reported figures.
| Team | Score | Top scorer |
|---|---|---|
| India U19 | 208 all out | Arjun Rajput 107 |
| Pakistan U19 | 209 for 7, 49th over | Hamza Zahoor 100 not out (108 balls) |
Impact
Short-term: India must win their remaining group game, against the UAE, and keep an eye on net run rate to reach the knockouts. Pakistan, on four points, are well placed to top the group.
Long-term: Rajput's century and Zahoor's unbeaten hundred are the kind of performances that put young players on the radar for their countries' next World Cup squads at this age level, and later for senior domestic cricket.
Who is affected: The India and Pakistan U19 players and coaches, the UAE and Nepal sides in Group A, and fans and scouts following young talent.
What to watch next: India's last Group A match against the UAE, and the knockout stage, with the tournament due to end on 14 November 2026.
Key Takeaway
Hamza Zahoor's unbeaten 100 took Pakistan from 61 for 5 to a three-wicket win over India in the U19 Asia Cup in Oman, outweighing Arjun Rajput's 107.
Questions and Answers
Who won the India U19 vs Pakistan U19 match in the Asia Cup on 8 November 2026?
Pakistan won by three wickets, chasing India's 208 in the 49th over thanks to Hamza Zahoor's unbeaten 100 off 108 balls.
Who scored a century for India against Pakistan?
Arjun Rajput scored 107, more than half of India's total of 208 all out.
Can India still reach the knockout stage of the U19 Asia Cup?
Yes. After two games India have two points, level with the UAE and behind Pakistan's four. India's remaining group game is against the UAE, and net run rate may matter.
Where and when is the 2026 U19 Asia Cup being played?
The ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup is being played in Oman from 5 to 14 November 2026, with a group stage followed by knockout matches.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Aarav Deshpande, Sports CorrespondentCovers Sports and more for Peepals Yuva. All stories by Aarav Deshpande
NIC Digital India Winter Internship 2026: 50 seats for tech students
XAT 2027 changes: 12 unanswered questions without penalty, 60 more XLRI seats
Get the day's stories in your inbox
Peepals Weekly: the week decoded, free. One email a week, unsubscribe in one click.
Aarav Deshpande is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
