Pakistan have been landed a massive blow just a day prior to the IND vs PAK clash. Their wicket-keeper Mohammad Shayan has been ruled out of the clash, and then remainder of the tournament, if the side do manage to go forward. The 18-year-old was hit on the nose in a practice match.
Pakistan in trouble before India clash
The player was rushed to the hospital and taken for scans, which showed a fractured nose. “Pakistan U19 wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Shayan has been ruled out of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup after being struck on the nose by a ball while wicketkeeping to a fast bowler during a scenario-based practice match,” PCB said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Abdul Qadir has been named as the replacement for the injured. Plus, they also have a keeper-batter in the form of Hamza Zahoor. As far as their status in the U19 World Cup 2026 is concerned, they are third in the points table of the Super 6. England have already qualified for the semis, and the fight will be between India and Pakistan.
India most likely to go through
But the scales are heavily tilted in the favour of India, who despite a loss, would most likely go through. That is because of the superior net run rate. India has won three in three, and their NRR stands at +3.337. Pakistan did lose their match against England, and have an NRR of +1.484.
Pakistan squad: Farhan Yousaf (c), Usman Khan, Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor, Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan, Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas, Umar Zaib, Abdul Qadir.
