Sameer Minhas’ festive end to the year

If you asked Sameer Minhas at the start of this month when his maiden Youth ODI hundred was coming, he’d probably have shrugged or told you he hoped it was in his next game. It did come in his next game, but much to Sameer’s chagrin, the game wasn’t accorded a YODI status. The disappointment, however, was short-lived. He managed another ton the next week in the final against India, and it was a YODI this time. He now had two centuries in two weeks, and the only thing better than having two centuries in two weeks is having three centuries in three weeks. So, Sameer went ahead and got it under his belt as well.

In his seven YODI appearances, he has three hundreds (technically), one fifty, a duck, and an average of 122.5. He also has a spot among some of Pakistan’s bigger names. His three-ton tally places him at joint second-most YODI centuries for Pakistan, levelling him with players like Babar Azam.

Most Centuries for Pakistan in Youth ODIs:

Of the three centuries he struck when most of the world was preparing to wrap the year up, Sameer’s 172 off 113 balls stands out. It was a match-winning innings against India during the final of the Under-19s Asia Cup, which eventually helped Pakistan lift their maiden Asia Cup trophy. It was also the highest individual score in a YODI tournament final.

While the rest of the Pakistani batting lineup struggled to get started in the final, Sameer seemed to be batting on a separate plane, reaching his 100 in just 71 balls. Throughout the Asia Cup, he scored 471 runs and was rightly awarded the Man of the Match. He is now a part of Pakistan’s U19 World Cup squad, which will take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe from 15 January to 6 February.

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