Sameer Minhas celebrates his century for Pakistan U19s (Source: X)
The teenage batting prodigy Sameer Minhas has emerged as one of the shining stars for Pakistan, both in the domestic age-group cricket and in the multi-team tournaments for Pakistan U19s. Sameer recently left everyone awestruck with his sensational 177-run knock for Pakistan U19s against Malaysia U19s in the second game of the ongoing Under-19s Asia Cup.
He smashed an unbeaten knock of 177 runs off just 148 balls, with 11 fours and eight sixes with a strike rate of 119.59. Apart from that, he also stitched a crucial partnership of 293 runs for the third wicket with Ahmed Hussain (132) to help the boys in green post a big total of 345 runs for the loss of three wickets in the allotted 50 overs.
Furthermore, Pakistan bowlers bundled out Malaysia U19 at the double-digit score of 48 runs and won the game by a mammoth margin of 297 runs to start their campaign on a winning note. Returning to the outstanding match-winning knock played by Sameer Minhas, his brilliant performance has come as a sigh of relief for the ‘struggling’ Pakistan in international cricket.
Hence, here’s a look at the factors and reasons that justify Sameer’s as future opening prospect for the national side of Pakistan, especially in the ODIs.
The credentials that testify Sameer’s outstanding growth as a batter
The Multan-born has played for Multan Region Under-13s, Southern Punjab Under-16s, Multan Under-19s, Multan Region Under-19s, and Pakistan Under-19s in his short but illustrious run in the age-group cricket. He also impressed with his amazing outings in Pakistan’ domestic list-a tournament, National Men’s U19 Cup 2025-26, which concluded in October.
Sameer Minhas in National Men's U19 Cup 2025-26
Criterion
Data
Innings
7
Runs
411
Average
58.71
Strike Rate
85.80
50s
2
100s
2
Fours
52
Sixes
5
Sameer Minhas in National Men's U19 Cup 2023-24
Criterion
Data
Innings
3
Runs
99
Average
49.50
Strike Rate
55.31
50s
0
100s
0
Fours
9
Sixes
0
The right-hander scored 411 runs in seven innings, with a brilliant batting average of 58.71, hitting two centuries and two half-centuries, registering a decent strike rate of 85.80. He also ended up as the leading run-scorer for the Multan Region Under-19s this season, followed by Ali Hasnain Badshah (246 runs in seven innings).
Two years ago in National Men’s U19 Cup 2023-24, when he was just 17, Sameer appeared in three games, scoring 99 runs in three innings, with a commendable batting average of 49.50. It also included an unbeaten appearance to his name.
The explosive approach: A much needed element for Pakistan
Notably, the 19-year-old scored 92 runs out of his 177-run knock with the fours (11) and sixes (eight), which reflects his blistering intent from the beginning. Having a strike rate of 119.59 in a 50-over game is something Pakistan badly need at the moment to go for the wins in international cricket.
Sameer’s aggressive approach as an opener can be a vital cog in the wheel for the Men in Green to achieve success in the One-Day internationals if they consider him in the national side. Currently, Pakistan haven’t had a stable opening pair in their batting setup courtesy of management’s volatile approach while lining up the batting order.
That said, Sameer could bring stability and consistency as an opener as he has knack for establishing himself in the top order in the long run. Not only aggressive, he can play the roles of both a hitter and an anchor in case of a batting collapse.
Conclusion: Time for Pakistan to think of depth in batting
With ODI World Cup 2027 being less than two years away, it’s high time for Pakistan's think tank to come up with some bold and brave calls to improve their ODI mix. One of the major benefits of Sameer’s ‘mix of aggressive and sensible batting’ approach is that he could provide a big cushion for the batters who will be there in the role of an anchor at number three or four.
However, there’s still a lot of ‘room to improve’ left in the youngster’s batting but his stroke-making ability is something that shouldn’t be ignored by the decision makers in Pakistan. It also becomes very necessary for them to execute in the line of Pakistan cricket team’s betterment.
Sameer Minhas celebrates his century for Pakistan U19s (Source: X)
