Arjun Rajput produced the defining innings of the India U-19 vs Pakistan U-19 Asia Cup clash in Doha on Sunday, scoring 107 off 85 deliveries after India lost early wickets and were forced into damage control.
India Under-19's innings started badly when Lakshya Raichandani was dismissed for a duck and VK Vineeth followed for eight. That left the batting side under immediate pressure, and Pakistan kept attacking through the middle overs.
Aaryavir Sehwag tried to steady things with 22 off 40 balls before falling to Niqab Shafiq. Anvay Dravid, meanwhile, made 10 off 16 deliveries before edging the same bowler. The early dismissals made Rajput's role even more important as India looked for any kind of recovery.
Rajput takes control
Rajput delivered that response in decisive fashion. He reached his century in 80 balls and finished with 11 fours and five sixes, giving India the innings they needed after the top-order collapse. His effort allowed India Under-19 to reach 208 before being bowled out.
The result of the innings was straightforward: one batter shouldered most of the scoring burden, while the rest of the lineup struggled to build around him. In a youth tournament match where momentum can swing quickly, Rajput's knock stood out as the clear difference-maker for India Under-19 against Pakistan.
The presence of Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid also drew attention because they are the sons of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, but the match itself belonged to Rajput's century. On a day when early wickets threatened to derail India, his innings gave them a platform and a total to work with in Doha.
