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Cricket Players'Sarfaraz kabhi dhoka nehi deta': Pakistan fan stops Mohsin Naqvi, demands T20 World Cup promise after U19 Asia Cup win
The U19 Asia Cup victory marked the third time Pakistan have beaten India in a final with Sarfaraz Ahmed involved.
Former ICC title-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was the cynosure as Pakistan sealed a crushing 191-run win over India in the U19 Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday. Such was the buzz around the veteran wicketkeeper-batter, who served as the U19 team’s mentor, that a Pakistan fan stopped PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi at the venue after the match and urged him to make a promise ahead of the T20 World Cup.
The victory marked the third time Pakistan have beaten India in a final with Sarfaraz involved. Back in 2004, he led Pakistan to a 38-run win over India in the ICC U19 World Cup final in Colombo. Thirteen years later, Sarfaraz captained the senior side to a famous Champions Trophy triumph against India at The Oval in 2017.
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On Sunday, at the ICC Academy Ground, the 38-year-old watched from the dugout as a mentor as Pakistan U19 outclassed India in a one-sided final, reclaiming the Asia Cup title for the first time in 13 years and only the second time in their history.
After the win, a video went viral on social media showing a Pakistan fan stopping Naqvi on his way out of the venue in Dubai. The fan is heard saying, “Sarfaraz kabhi dhoka nahi deta” (“Sarfaraz never lets you down”), a popular dialogue from the Bollywood film PK.
He then added: “He won you the Champions Trophy in 2017. Today, we won another title. Please make him the mentor for the T20 World Cup (2026). Please.” Naqvi kept smiling and eventually responded with a thumbs-up gesture.
Riding on a breathtaking 172 off 113 deliveries from the powerful Sameer Minhas, Pakistan piled up a towering 347 for eight.
In response, India began the chase with early intent as opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi came out attacking to provide a brisk start. However, the momentum was quickly halted when captain Ayush Mhatre departed for just two runs. The batting line-up then looked unsettled against the pace and bounce generated by Pakistan’s fast bowlers. Ali Raza (4/42), Mohammad Sayyam (2/38) and Abdul Subhan (2/29) relentlessly hit hard lengths, ripping through the top order as India were bowled out for 156 in 26.2 overs.
