India breezed past Pakistan in their final Super Six encounter to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Zimbabwe & Namibia 2026. Parthiv Patel and former India Under-19 World Cup-winning Captain Unmukt Chand dissected India's performance and thumping win.
Parthiv Patel praised the Indian colts' hunger to win:
“At one point, when India were 147/5, it looked like Pakistan could make a strong comeback into the game, but India didn’t give them a chance. India were playing with a clear mind, and it felt like only one team was playing to win. The way India played, understood the game and respected the conditions, everything stood out. You want to top the table, not because you want to play Afghanistan or Australia, but because you want to finish at the top. Whether it’s the World Cup or any other tournament, you play all your games to win and be part of the bigger matches. To make it to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, that was India’s mindset, which Pakistan didn’t have. India played with a lot of maturity, and credit to them.”
On Pakistan's tactics not to push for a spot in the semi-finals:
"I’m just trying to understand one thing here, the way Pakistan approached this game. If India were in the same situation, and if they had approached it in a way where they weren’t even trying to have a shot at making it to the semi-final, then what would have happened? I don’t think that coaching staff would have been able to coach anywhere else. In Under-19 cricket, the role of the coaches and the support staff is very important. You are experienced and hence, have been given a role to guide young players on their cricketing journey. But unfortunately, Pakistan just didn’t look like they wanted to push for that semi-final spot. The lack of desire to win was pretty evident.”
Read More : U19 World Cup 2026: India secure semi-final spot with win over Pakistan
On India's mindset going into the semi-final clash against Afghanistan:
“I think when you reach the semi-final, a knockout game, only one thing matters, how good you are on that day and how well you execute your plans. Whether it is Afghanistan or Australia, you go to World Cups with the belief that if you play to your potential, you can defeat any team. I’m sure India must be thinking that irrespective of the opposition, we have the talent, skills, and if we play good cricket, we can beat anyone.”
Unmukt Chand elaborated on Pakistan's approach for the match:
“I think it was pretty surprising to see that even though Pakistan knew the target beforehand, they weren’t trying to go for a place in the semi-finals. It was frankly very disturbing to see. When you want to win a game but don’t qualify, it shows there are errors in the management’s thinking and planning. It’s very difficult to comprehend because if you don’t chase it down in 33 overs, you don’t qualify for the next stage. But on the other hand, if you look at the way the Indian team played the game, they were always in control. They dominated with the bat, the ball, and in the field as well, and made some good bowling changes. So, I think it was a great win for India as they progressed to the semi-final.”
