A scintillating century from Sameer Minhas propelled Pakistan U19 to a dominant nine-wicket victory over hosts Zimbabwe U19 in the final of the U19 tri-series at Old Hararians, Harare, on Tuesday.
The triumph secured back-to-back titles for Pakistan’s junior team, following their eight-team ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup win last month in Dubai, where they defeated India by 191 runs.
Chasing a modest target of 159, Pakistan wrapped up the match in just 16.2 overs, finishing with 202 balls to spare.
Sameer Minhas smashed a breathtaking 114 off only 51 deliveries, hitting 17 fours and five sixes. He reached his hundred in just 42 balls, setting a new benchmark for the fastest century in the series and surpassing India’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had scored a 52-ball ton against England U19 in July 2025.
Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf’s decision to field first paid off handsomely as the bowlers kept Zimbabwe under pressure. Umar Zaib starred with four wickets, while Abdul Subhan chipped in with two. Zimbabwe collapsed to 15 for five inside seven overs, eventually posting 158 in 44.4 overs, despite Michael Blignaut’s 60 and Tatenda Chimugoro’s unbeaten 28.
Sameer then dominated with Mohammad Shayan, who contributed 38 not out, sharing a 145-run opening partnership that effectively ended the contest.
With this emphatic win, Pakistan U19 now sets its sights on the ICC U19 World Cup, starting on 15 January in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
