Former India captain Sourav Ganguly commended India Under-19 batsman Aaryavir Sehwag for his outstanding performance in the 2026 ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup, stating that his father and former India opener Virender Sehwag must be proud of his display throughout the tournament.
India secured the continental title with a thrilling one-wicket win over Pakistan in the final at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Saturday, successfully chasing a target of 338 in the final over.
Following India’s triumph, Ganguly posted on X, “Well done India under19 .. superb performance .. young Sehwag .. what a tournament he had.. every other member of the team as well .. Veeru must be very proud @virendersehwag.” Aaryavir was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 361 runs in five matches, including a century and three half-centuries.
In the final, Aaryavir contributed 58 runs off 61 balls, forming a crucial partnership with captain Lakshya Rajesh Raichandani, who scored 80 off 101 deliveries. Additional support came from Manal Chauhan, who made 47 off 32 balls, and Mohit Ulva, whose unbeaten 49 off 26 balls helped seal the victory. Chigurupati Venkata remained not out on 11.
Several former India cricketers also congratulated the Under-19 team. Irfan Pathan praised their fighting spirit, writing, “What a win by our u19 boys vs Pakistan. Showed the real fighting character. Brilliant to see.” Former opener Aakash Chopra called it “an absolutely stellar win” and expressed pride for the team. Dinesh Karthik highlighted their resilience, saying, “The mettle and the courage to win a game from that position in the finals says a lot about them and the determination and the fighting spirit and our sporting culture. Indian Cricket is in safe hands and we seem to thrive under pressure.” Mayank Agarwal simply stated, “What a chase! Incredible! Well done, boys. Super proud.”
Pakistan had posted 337 for 9 after opting to bat, with Usman Khan scoring 107, Abdul Qadir 80, and captain Farhan Yousaf 63. For India, Kavya Patel took four wickets and Chigurupati Venkata claimed three.
This victory ends India’s five-year wait for the Under-19 Asia Cup, their previous triumph being in 2021. India remain the tournament’s most successful team with nine titles.