Arjun Rajput’s ton bid keeps five-down India U19 in INDU19 vs PAKU19 scrap

Arjun Rajput’s push towards a hundred kept India U19 in Sunday’s Group A match against Pakistan U19 at Al Amerat, after a collapse that left India five down. The INDU19 vs PAKU19 game, the eighth match of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026, was played on November 8 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman.

The Asian Cricket Council event runs from November 5 to November 14 across two grounds in Al Amerat. Eight teams are split into two groups of four, and this was a Group A fixture. India won the toss and chose to bat. The Mint’s preview named Lakshya Raichandani as India’s captain.

Arjun Rajput’s ton bid after early collapse

India’s innings began badly. The Indian Express reported the score at 44 for 4, with Aaryavir Sehwag out and Dravid walking in. Moneycontrol described the start as terrible, saying Sehwag and Dravid were packed cheaply. The Times of India reported that Niqab Shafiq removed Aaryavir Sehwag as India fell four down.

The scoreboard pressure did not last. NDTV Sports reported that Arjun Rajput was nearing a ton as five-down India recovered against Pakistan. His innings became the clear cut-out performance of the chase, even though the earlier wickets meant India never got free of the top-order damage.

CricBuzz’s ball-by-ball feed catches the middle-overs pressure from the other end. Farhan Yousaf bowled to Manal Chauhan, producing a full toss that Manal drove off the wrong kind of wood to wide long-off for one; the very next ball was fullish and just outside off, and Manal could only defend. It was over 30.3, and the contest was still being pushed back and forth.

Pakistan’s early breakthroughs

Niqab Shafiq got the breakthrough India did not want. The Times of India named him as the bowler who removed Aaryavir Sehwag, and by that stage India were four down. Dravid’s arrival at the crease was already a sign of the damage done, suggesting the innings needed a late rearguard rather than a platform.

Those details matter because the recovery was against a bowling attack that had done the early hard work. Shafiq’s seamer’s dismissal of Sehwag came when India were still at 44. From there, Rajput had to carry the recovery with support rather than partnerships, at least in the early recovery phase.

Where and when the fixture sits in the tournament

The match was at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman, one of two venues used by the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026. The tournament began on November 5 and closes on November 14. India and Pakistan met in Group A, with the eighth match of the competition carrying more than usual weight because of the rivalry.

Pre-match coverage across Mint, ABP News, ETV Bharat, Moneycontrol, Khel Now and The Indian Express concentrated on timing and streaming for the Sunday fixture. Several guides repeated that India had won the toss and elected to bat, while Khel Now listed the contest as Match 8 of the tournament.

The group format gives the result a concrete consequence. With eight teams in two groups of four, Group A positions are shaped by every match. NDTV Sports said the winner of Sunday’s match would nearly seal a top finish in the Group A standings, which raises the value of Rajput’s rescue beyond the live score.

What the Group A result is worth

For anyone tracking INDU19 vs PAKU19, the swing came from the same simple fact: India lost early wickets, then found a fighter in Arjun Rajput. The score of 44 for 4 could have meant a short day in the field for Pakistan. The five-down recovery led by Rajput moved the match back into contention.

The tournament still has matches to play through November 14, but Sunday’s Group A match carried a nearly decisive advantage for the winner. India bat first after choosing to field the conditions, and Rajput’s approach towards a hundred is the number that defines the evening.