Pakistan became the only thorn: India’s report card after U19 Asia Cup 2025

Soumyajit Dutta

India U19 team [Source: @ACCMedia1/X]India U19 team [Source: @ACCMedia1/X]

The U19 Asia Cup heartbreak was too much to take for Indian fans, especially after dominating throughout the tournament. A shambolic defeat at the hands of Pakistan U19 in the final, and the dream of juniors securing the trophy after India’s Asia Cup 2025 victory was shattered instantly.

Nevertheless, though the defeat was a cruel one, the young guns in the blue had their head held high throughout the tournament, and in a brief recap, we will see how they shone to speak of a promise in the future.

The group stage dominance of India U19

IND U19 against UAE U19

Placed in group A of the tournament, India was first slated against the UAE U19 on December 12. A match which saw the boys overpower by a margin of 234 runs. Vaibhav Suryavanshi spelt his dominance from the onset with a monster 171 off 95 balls as Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George followed with their 69 down the order.

The bowling unit did decently, with Deepesh Devendran taking two wickets. Nothing extraordinary as the UAE still managed to bag 199 runs without getting rolled over completely, which should have been the case with bowlers like Khilan Patel, Henil Patel and Kishan Singh in the squad.

Team Performance Report: 7/10

IND U19 against PAK U19

The second match was the grand epic, against the unannounced arch-nemesis, Pakistan, on December 14. The intimidation of the contest might have had the better of the Boys in Green as they lost the match by 90 runs.

Suryavanshi faltered, and Aaron George smashed his way through 85 runs, having 12 boundaries to his name. For a No. 7, Kanishk Chouhan played a solid knock of 46 runs to pull India to 240 in their first innings.

The bowling unit was a gem that day. Kanishk Chouhan and Devendran scalped 3 each to rattle the top and the middle order, and before Pakistan knew it, they were down 5 for 77 inside 23.6 overs. Inside 42 overs, Pakistan was wrapped for 150 runs, handing their counterpart a flawless victory.

Team Performance Report: 9/10

IND U19 against MAL U19

The next assignment was against Malaysia, and Abhigyan Kundu came out of the syllabus. A formidable 408 for India on board in the first innings, and Malaysia was helpless. Suryavanshi blitz scored 50 off 26 balls while Kundu came in at No. 5 to record a 125-ball 209 alongside Vedant Trivedi’s 90 to bamboozle their opponent.

Devendran came to run through Malaysia’s batting order to bag 5 wickets as Udhav Mohan, Khilan patel and others helped clean up the rest of the team to win by a massive margin of 315 runs. Easy victory and India were all set to face their opponent in the 1st semi-final after being leaders of Group A on the points table.

Team Performance Report: 8.5/10

The semi-final against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka came to bat first, and Henil Patel and Kanishk Chouhan’s spells restricted them to a meagre 138. The total was modest, and much cleaner work was needed to wrap up the tail, but yes, it was a semi-final, and the pressure was immense.

Nevertheless, India had an early scare as both the openers faltered to make India stand at a scary 2/25 at the end of 3 overs. However, Aaron George and Vihaan Malhotra steadied the ship with their partnership to get past India over the target inside 18 overs. 

A compact and impactful team performance that saw steady contributions throughout the bowling unit and batting unit as well, except for the opening scare.

Team Performance Report: 8/10

The final against Pakistan

The epic showdown was staged at ICCA Dubai on December 21, and the unexpected happened. A team dominating with its unbeaten streak was left in despair, while a team that had its fair share of stumbles lifted the trophy.

Sameer Minhas, the 19-year-old opening batter for Pakistan run riot with his 113-ball 172 as Ahmed Hussain’s 56 contributed to a total of above-par 347 for Pakistan. Though India’s Deepesh Devendran scalped 3 wickets, the falls were not enough to dent Pakistan’s confidence as they marched on the back of Minhas.

Call it performance pressure, or sheer bad performance, India’s batting crumbled from thievery beginning with skipper Ayush Mhatre falling in the third over and Suryavanshi gone in the 4th. The middle order and the tail failed to build up a resistance as the Boys in Blue were bundled for just 156 runs in the chase, handing Pakistan their moment of glory.

Team Performance Report: 6/10

Conclusion: The boys played well, yet...

This teaches a lot to the young generation that will one day play for the senior national team. The game can turn anyday, any moment, even if you are the best one in the lot. Having the calm, the patience, and the temperament to sail through every storm in every high-pressure situation is the key.

Nevertheless, though India U19 had a solid group stage display, the wins failed to convert a trophy. The Boys in Green will celebrate their days till they come face to face again in the Play-Off of the U19 World Cup, which begins on January 15.