Sachin Tendulkar hails India's Asia Cup win over Pakistan, Ganguly says 'Veeru must be proud'
Tendulkar, Ganguly, and Sehwag laud India's young stars after historic win
Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag were full of praise for India's young cricketers after their extraordinary victory over Pakistan in the Under 19 Asia Cup final in Oman on Saturday.
But it was Ganguly's special mention of Sehwag's son Aaryavir that added a personal touch to the celebrations.
India pulled off a remarkable chase of 338, winning by one wicket off the final delivery to clinch their ninth Under 19 Asia Cup title.
Ganguly's special message to Sehwag
Taking to X, former India captain Ganguly congratulated the youngsters, particularly Aaryavir, who enjoyed an outstanding tournament.
"Well done India under19 .. superb performance .. young Sehwag .. what a tournament he had.. every other member of the team as well .. Veeru must be very proud @virendersehwag," Ganguly wrote.
And Ganguly certainly had a point.
Aaryavir finished as the tournament's leading run scorer with 361 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 90.25.
His campaign included a brilliant 160 against the UAE, one century and three half centuries, earning him the Player of the Tournament award.
The youngster also played an important role in the final, scoring 58 off 61 balls and putting on 95 runs for the opening wicket with captain Lakshya Raichandani.
What did Sachin Tendulkar say?
Tendulkar, meanwhile, highlighted the importance of teamwork in India's remarkable victory.
"Every player, every contribution and every moment matters in a team game. India showed that beautifully today.
"Congratulations to our young champions on winning the U19 Asia Cup!" the batting legend wrote on X.
His message was particularly fitting considering how India recovered from a seemingly hopeless position to win the final.
Sehwag celebrates his son's achievement
For Virender Sehwag, the victory was special for more than one reason.
His son Aaryavir had played a crucial role in India's title winning campaign, but the former opener made sure to recognise the entire team's contribution.
"What a match! What a finish!" Sehwag wrote on X.
He praised the character shown by the youngsters while chasing such a challenging target against Pakistan.
Sehwag singled out Lakshya's 80, Aaryavir's 58 and the remarkable contributions of Manal Chauhan and Mohit Ulva.
He also described the victory as unbelievable and expressed his pride in the young champions.
India pull off a miracle
Pakistan had posted a formidable 337 for nine, powered by Usman Khan's century.
India looked to be heading towards defeat when they slipped to 252 for eight.
However, Chauhan smashed 47 off 32 balls before Ulva produced an extraordinary unbeaten 49 off 26 deliveries.
With three runs required from the final ball, Ulva struck a boundary to seal a famous victory.
For India, it was a memorable triumph.
And for Sehwag, watching his son finish as the tournament's leading run scorer while helping India lift the trophy must have made the occasion even sweeter.
