Sameer Minhas’ stupendous 172 in opposition to India within the Underneath-19 Asia Cup ultimate was a validation of the idea in Pakistan cricketing circles that the opener is destined to be a batting star.
His 113-ball knock, which was additionally the best ever within the event ultimate, helped Pakistan register a 191-run win over India and clinch its second Youth Asia Cup title.
But it surely was a second ready to occur as soon as his father, Kashif Minhas, himself a former U-19 cricketer for his nation, understood the expertise of Sameer and his elder brother Arafat.
Arafat has already performed 4 T20Is for Pakistan between 2023 and 2024, and the household, which moved to Lahore to discover higher services, has all the time believed that Sameer would comply with swimsuit ultimately.
Sameer made the cricketing world take discover of his wealthy expertise whereas smashing an unbeaten 177 in opposition to Malaysia in a bunch match on December 12.
The subsequent three matches had been comparatively colourless — 9, 4, 69 not out.
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However the right-hander selected the proper event to manifest his expertise as soon as extra.
Nonetheless, did he really feel any extra stress due to enjoying in opposition to conventional rivals India within the title conflict? “India versus Pakistan is all the time an enormous sport, however personally, I didn’t really feel any additional stress. I simply needed to play my pure sport, and that’s what I centered on,” he mentioned after the match.
His pure sport was then on full show on the ICC Academy premises.
The 19-year-old was by no means in double minds whereas enjoying his pictures — he lifted pacers to on-side boundaries for normal fours and gave cost to spinners, depositing them within the stands behind the bowlers’ arm with a perpendicular bat.
Pacer Deepesh Devendran, India’s standout bowler on this event, was carted round for 52 runs after which plundered 42 runs off 28 balls off off-spinner Kanishk Chouhan.
“It was innings for me. I had only one factor on my thoughts: to attain runs for the staff and assist us put up an enormous complete,” mentioned Sameer.
The hassle earned him the Participant of the Match and Participant of the Collection awards, and his occasion tally stood at 471 runs at a median of 157 with a strike-rate of 117.45.
Sameer will likely be seen in motion once more subsequent month within the ICC U-19 World Cup, and, by the look of it, there will likely be many extra appearances.
Printed on Dec 21, 2025