India ignore Mohsin Naqvi after U19 Asia Cup final, PCB chairman joins Pakistan celebrations

The Indian U-19 team continued the trend started by their seniors as they ignored Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi during the prize distribution ceremony following the U-19 Asia Cup final on Sunday, December 21.

Pakistan defeated India by a whopping 191 runs at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai to lift the U-19 Asia Cup title. On the back of Sameer Minhas’ 113-ball 172, Pakistan posted a mammoth 347/8 in their 50 overs after being invited to bat first by Ayush Mhatre.

In reply, India were bowled out for just 156 in 26.2 overs, with No. 10 batter Deepesh Devendran top-scoring with a 16-ball 36. It was imperative for India that openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Mhatre hit the ground running with the bat. However, they were dismissed for 26 and 2 by Ali Raza, who was brilliant with the new ball.

Naqvi arrived in Dubai during the summit clash, and he proceeded to be alongside the dignitaries for the presentation. However, the Indian players opted not to share the stage with Naqvi and collected their medals from another dignitary, away from the main dais where the PCB chief was standing.

Naqvi presented the winners’ medals to the Pakistani players before placing the trophy in Farhan Yousaf’s reliable hands. The 47-year-old went on to pose with the Pakistan team and management for photographs. He was also on the field when the Pakistani players were on their victory lap, sharing the moment of glory with their passionate fans.

Pakistan opener Sameer Minhas bagged the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series awards. He finished as the highest run-getter by a distance, amassing 471 runs in five innings at an average of 157.