Confident UAE face off mighty India in U19 Asia Cup today

Dubai: The UAE will begin their campaign in the ACC U19 Asia Cup on Friday, taking on the formidable Indian side at the ICC Academy in Dubai.

UAE captain Yayin Rai expressed optimism ahead of the tournament opener. “We are confident of putting up a good show. Our boys have been training hard for this tournament, so hopefully we can achieve a positive result.”

Noting that the team is well-acquainted with local conditions after extensive training, he added, “We certainly have the home advantage, but we also need to deliver a solid performance — especially when playing strong teams like India.”

The UAE are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan, and Malaysia, while Group B includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Indian captain Ayush Mhatre, who has previously played under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, shared some advice he received from the former Indian skipper. “He’s very calm on the field. He told me to stay calm, not to make decisions in an aggressive mindset. Just let the aggressiveness go for five minutes and everything will feel easier. Be calm on the ground.”

Speaking about the tournament, Mhatre added, “I’m enjoying this a lot. Leading India’s U19 team is a great experience because it’s a very talented group. I’ve been captaining for a while now, and the series before this went well. Our goal remains the same — we want to play good cricket and try to win the tournament.” Rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi is also part of the Indian squad.

In the other Group A match on Friday, Pakistan will face Malaysia.

Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf, who also featured in the previous U19 Asia Cup, said, “It’s a proud moment to lead Pakistan. I’ve captained in regional cricket and enjoyed it a lot. Hopefully, I can build a strong unit with my team and enjoy the tournament.”

Speaking about the presence of former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed as a mentor, Yousaf said, “We’ve had camps and leadership sessions with him. He’s very friendly and comfortable with all of us. He’s a Champions Trophy and U19 World Cup winner, and he has shared many stories. The boys feel motivated, and I’m learning a lot from him.”

Afghanistan captain Mahboob Taskin Khan said, “First of all, I would like to thank the ICC for hosting the Asia Cup. We have been preparing for almost a year and a half, with camps across different provinces. We had two good series against Bangladesh and India, and our preparation has been strong. We will do our best to achieve a good result.”

Bangladesh captain Azizul Hakim Tamim, leading the defending champions, said, “Thank God we won the last series and the Asia Cup. We believe in ourselves and will do our best to get a good result.”

Nepal captain Ashok Dhami said, “I don’t feel much pressure, but we will give our best on the field. The result is secondary — we want to play good cricket.”

Sri Lanka captain Vimath Dinsara added, “It feels great. We have worked together for a year and toured Bangladesh and the West Indies. I think we have a good team and can challenge the others.”