U19 Asia Cup: Pakistan Beats UAE to Reach Semi-Finals

• Pakistan’s 69-run victory over UAE in Group-A of ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup.
• Pakistan tops Group A, ahead of UAE, India, and Japan.
• Pakistan’s next league match is against Japan on Wednesday.

DUBAI: Pakistan secured a commanding 69-run victory over the United Arab Emirates in a Group-A clash on Monday, advancing to the semi-finals of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup.

Batting first after being sent in, Pakistan posted an imposing total of 314 for three in their allotted 50 overs. Opener Shahzaib Khan was the star with the bat, smashing his second consecutive century. He scored a brilliant 132 off 136 balls, featuring 11 fours and six sixes, following up on his 159-run knock against India.

Shahzaib shared a 183-run second-wicket stand with Riazullah, who was equally impressive, scoring 106 off 91 balls with nine fours and three sixes. The duo’s partnership built on a solid 94-run opening stand between Shahzaib and Usman Khan (41). In the final overs, Riazullah and Faham-ul-Haq (20 not out) added 37 runs to boost Pakistan’s total.

In response, UAE struggled to chase the steep target, falling to 57 for three early on. A 113-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ethan D’Souza (84 off 102) and Muhammad Rayan (50 off 66) offered some resistance. However, after Rayan’s dismissal at 170, the UAE middle order collapsed under pressure from Pakistan’s fast bowler Abdul Subhan. Subhan delivered a match-winning spell, taking six wickets for 57 runs in his 10 overs, reducing UAE to 245 for eight.

With this victory, Pakistan tops Group-A, ahead of UAE, India, and Japan. In Group-B, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh lead, while Afghanistan and Nepal remain winless. Pakistan’s next league match is against Japan on Wednesday at the Dubai International Sports Stadium.

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