DUBAI: Pakistan will face arch-rivals India in the final of the U-19 Asia Cup at the ICC Academy Ground on Sunday in a bid to clinch their maiden title.

Since the tournament’s inception in 1989, Pakistan — winners of the 2004 and 2006 ICC Under-19 World Cups — are yet to clinch an outright U-19 Asia Cup title across 11 editions.

Their closest brush with the trophy came in 2012, when they were declared joint winners alongside India after the final ended in a tie.

In the ongoing eight-team competition, Pakistan finished with two wins from three matches in Group ‘A’ before securing their place in the final by defeating Bangladesh by eight wickets in the second semi-final on Friday.

Captain Farhan Yousaf expressed confidence in his side’s preparations and mindset ahead of the title clash.

“Our preparation has been very good and the morale in the camp is very high,” Farhan said while speaking to PCB Digital.

“The management has backed us strongly and we will try to come out victorious.”

Reflecting on the semi-final victory, the skipper praised the all-round performance of his players.

“Bangladesh proved to be a very good opponent and it was enjoyable to compete against them,” he said. “The players performed really well. Our fielding unit has been outstanding, the batting performed well in the last match and the bowling has been consistent throughout the tournament. This collective effort has contributed to our strong results.”

Pakistan’s campaign has been anchored by Sameer Minhas, who is the team’s leading run-scorer with 299 runs from four matches, including a century and a half-century.

In the bowling department, right-arm pacer Abdul Subhan has led the attack with 11 wickets in three matches, while left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam has chipped in with eight scalps.

Looking ahead to the final, Farhan emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum.

“The final is a big game and the players are very confident,” he said. “We aim to carry forward the momentum and positivity from the last match, play aggressive cricket, give our 100 per cent and are hopeful of a result going in our team’s favour.”

India, meanwhile, come into the final with a perfect record, winning all their group matches and the semi-final.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2025