Sameer Minhas Star as Pakistan Crush Zimbabwe By 8 Wickets in ICC U19 World Cup 2026

Pakistan came up with a dominating performance against Zimbabwe in the recent ICC U19 World Cup clash. They crushed the Zimbabwe side by 8 wickets, courtesy of a fine batting performance by Sameer Minhas. He played a stunning knock of 74 runs to give Pakistan a commanding win over the tournament hosts.

Batting first, Zimbabwe looked uncomfortable against Pakistan’s bowlers from the start of the innings. Apart from Nathaniel Hlabangana (59 off 85 balls), the top order of Zimbabwe failed early in the innings, as Pakistan took back-to-back wickets to halt their scoring rate. An aggressive bowling spell by Ali Raza and Mohammad Sayyam disrupted their entire batting plans, as no batter managed to enter double figures.

After removing the top order, Mohammad Sayyam and Ahmed Hussain removed the middle order, leaving Zimbabwe five wickets down for just 54 runs. This was a big jolt for the Zimbabwe lineup, as they were hoping to play steadily in the middle overs. The innings of Brandon Senzere gave them some respite, but he was also removed by Ali Raza for just 15 runs.

The Pakistan bowlers then cleaned up the tail of Zimbabwe quickly and bowled them out for just 128 runs in the first innings. Ali Raza remained the star bowler for Pakistan, as he took 3 wickets in eight overs while conceding just 16 runs.

When Pakistan came out to bat in the second innings, they showcased complete dominance against the inexperienced Zimbabwe bowlers. Sameer Minhas took the lead role in smashing the Zimbabwe attack, showcasing his talent and skills while chasing a tricky target. His partnership with Usman Khan was crucial, as he also played a steady knock of 26 runs.

As the target was just 129, Pakistan cruised to victory in the 27th over when Sameer Minhas struck two consecutive sixes to seal the victory. The green shirts won the match by 8 wickets, securing a confirmed place in the Super Six round of the ICC U19 World Cup 2026.