Hamza Zahoor fished the note out of his trouser pocket, unfolded it and showed it to the camera. The scrap read “Tomorrow match, 50 InshaAllah. Hamza Zahoor. I am the best.” He had scribbled it to himself before the game, a modest half-century target, then doubled it on the biggest stage in youth cricket.

The script was far messier than the number. Pakistan were five wickets down for 61 chasing India’s 208 all out in a Group A fixture of the ACC Under-19 Asia Cup. The tournament is being played across the Al Amerat venues in Oman, and Sunday’s game was billed as the pool decider between the subcontinental rivals.

Zahoor walked in with the chase in ruins. He stayed in for the next 107 runs with Hasnain Abbas Dar, who made 38, rebuilding a sixth-wicket stand that swung the match. Zahoor finished unbeaten on 100 off 108 balls with 10 fours and three sixes, driving the winning boundary off Kavya Patel to reach the mark and the target in the same shot.

The note was from the wrong day

Zahoor told India.com that the slip he showed the crowd was not even meant for this match.

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“I had written on the paper the mindset I had set for myself last night: that whenever I got an opportunity, I would score runs and win matches for my team. But I accidentally took the paper I had written for the first match inside with me,” he said to India.com.

The same outlet reported he dedicated the innings to his brother in the post-match celebrations.

Pakistan top Group A after two wins

Opener Arjun Rajput’s 107 had looked like India’s winning score for most of the day, and left-arm spinner Manal Chauhan ripped through Pakistan’s top order with 3 for 32 to leave the chase apparently dead. Three of Pakistan’s seamers, Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Naqib Shafiq, had earlier taken three wickets apiece to bowl India out in 46.3 overs.

Pakistan sit top of Group A with two wins from two. They face Nepal on 10 November, while India, who have one match left in the group, meet the United Arab Emirates in their remaining fixture. The Asia Cup semi-finals start on 12 November.

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