Pakistan’s young cricket stars defeated arch-rivals India by three wickets in a thrilling Under-19 Asia Cup encounter, thanks to a magnificent unbeaten century by Hamza Zahoor.
The young batter emerged as the hero of the match after scoring a match-winning 100 not out, rescuing Pakistan from a difficult position and turning the game in his team’s favour.
Hamza’s family celebrated the remarkable victory at home, with a large number of cricket fans gathering to congratulate the young star.
His father said the family had prayed for his success and expressed immense happiness over Pakistan’s victory against India. He added that he had expected Hamza to deliver something special when the team was under pressure.
Hamza’s uncle revealed that his message to the young cricketer was simple: do not lose against India.
After guiding Pakistan to victory, Hamza also revealed what he had written on a note before the match. He had initially set himself the target of scoring a half-century against India.
However, as Pakistan found itself in trouble, he decided not to settle for a fifty and instead went on to score a memorable century.
Hamza explained that his note carried the message that he wanted to help his team win through his performance and make the most of every opportunity to score.
Interestingly, he said he had mistakenly brought the note from the previous match, which contained his target of scoring a half-century.
The young batter said he did not take pressure and simply enjoyed his batting while following the game plan given to him.
Batting at number seven, Hamza scored an unbeaten 100 off 108 deliveries, smashing 10 fours and three sixes to take Pakistan home.
Pakistan had suffered an early collapse, losing their first five wickets for just 61 runs while chasing the target.
However, Hamza and Hasnain Abbas Dar turned the match around with a crucial 107-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Hasnain also played an important supporting role, scoring 38 runs off 67 deliveries.
Hamza’s outstanding innings not only secured a memorable victory for Pakistan but also established him as the standout performer in the high-pressure clash against India.