Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the final of the U19 Asia Cup 2025 final in Dubai.
This comes after Pakistan U19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed accused the Indian side of misconduct in the final of the U19 continental event.
“India’s behavior during the game was not appropriate, and their conduct was against the spirit of cricket. Despite that, we celebrated our victory with sportsmanship. Cricket should always be played in the right spirit; what India did reflects their own actions,” Sarfaraz had said during a press meet.
Pakistan completely dominated India in the U19 Asia Cup final. First, Sameer Minhas’s 172 and Ahmed Hussain’s 56 led Pakistan to 347/8 in 50 overs. Then, despite Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s 26 and Deepesh Deverndren’s 36, India could only muster 156 runs. Ali Raza picked four wickets, while four other Pakistani bowlers took two wickets each.
The 191-run win earned Pakistan their first U19 Asia Cup title in 13 years and only the second in the tournament’s history.
Speaking to the media at a reception for the Under-19 squad hosted by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Naqvi condemned the Indian players' actions and stated that the board would "formally" approach the ICC, requesting the council to keep sport and politics separate.
“Indian players kept provoking Pakistani players during the Under-19 Asia Cup final. Pakistan will formally inform the ICC about the incident. Politics and sports should always be kept separate,” Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.
Cricketing relations between India and Pakistan have been cold ever since Operation Sindoor, which was a result of a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit attack on Pahalgam in April this year. When India and Pakistan met in the senior Asia Cup 2025 in September in Dubai, India captain Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.
Jasprit Bumrah received an official warning for violating the Code of Conduct in the final. At the same time, Suryakumar Yadav of India was fined for "bringing the game into disrepute" after making remarks during the group stage encounter.
Sahibzada Farhan was slammed for his gun-firing gesture, and Haris Rauf, a member of the Pakistani team, received two fines and a two-match suspension for "provocative" celebrations.