India U19 defeated Pakistan U19 by one wicket on Saturday (November 14) to clinch their ninth ACC Men's U19 Asia Cup title at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.
Chasing a target of 338, No. 10 batter Mohit Ulva struck an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls, including a match-winning boundary to seal the victory on the final delivery.
Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Ulva reflected on his mindset during the tense chase, stating that his belief in himself and faith in God kept him calm under pressure.
Despite having a quiet tournament with the ball, Ulva noted that he always viewed himself as an allrounder and was simply waiting for the opportunity to prove his batting ability.
"Nothing much. I just had belief in myself and faith in God. My Asia Cup hadn't been particularly great until then. I knew I was a bowler, but I also believed that I was an all-rounder. However, I hadn't got enough opportunities to prove myself yet. But I always believed that I could do it," Ulva said.
India U19 needed eight runs from the final over, with Pakistan U19 requiring just one wicket to seal the deal. The equation came down to three runs off the last ball, but Ulva held his nerve and struck Ahmed Hussain for a boundary to pull off the chase.
"I was just waiting for that one ball. I knew I could hit a boundary and finish the game. I had complete faith in God. I knew it was my day and I would finish the game," he said.
Mohit Ulva also credited No. 7 batter Manal Chauhan (47 off 32) for setting the momentum, allowing him to step in and finish the chase.
"The momentum he created by going out to bat before me and setting things up was incredible. I just had to go out there and deliver," Ulva said.
He also praised Venkata for boosting his confidence during the tense finish. "He kept telling me, 'No, you can do it. Just go out and play. You will finish it.' The belief he gave me, that the two of us could get the job done on the last ball, strengthened my own confidence," he added.
Ulva shared that the dressing room remained confident at the innings break because the pitch was flat and India U19 possessed a deep batting lineup.
Openers Aaryavir Sehwag (58 off 61) and skipper Lakshya Raichandani (80 off 101) gave India U19 a strong start with a 95-run opening stand. A middle-order collapse subsequently saw them slip from 217/4 to 252/8.
However, Ulva and Chauhan revived the chase with a 57-run ninth-wicket partnership. After Chauhan fell, Chigurupati Venkata (11* off 8 balls) held up his end in an unbroken 30-run last-wicket partnership.
"Before I went out to bat, sir personally came up to me and said, 'You can do it. Just believe in yourself.' So, I went out there and simply watched the ball and hit the ball. I wasn't thinking about what was happening or what might happen next. I wasn't overthinking anything. I was just watching the ball and playing my shots," Ulva remarked.
(With IANS Inputs)
