New Delhi: Former Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Irfan Pathan and VVS Laxman were among those who congratulated India's Under-19 team after the youngsters pulled off a thrilling one-wicket victory over Pakistan to lift the Men's U19 Asia Cup title in Muscat.

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India chased down a challenging target of 338 in a dramatic final, with skipper Lakshya Raichandani leading the charge with 80 and Aaryavir Sehwag contributing 58. The chase appeared to be slipping away before Manal Chauhan (47) and Mohit Ulva (49 not out) produced crucial late-order contributions to take India across the line.

Virender Sehwag, former India opener and father of Aaryavir, hailed the team's fighting spirit and praised the players who stepped up under pressure.

“What a match! What a finish! To beat Pakistan in an U19 Asia Cup final chasing 338 takes some serious character. Lakshya’s 80, Aaryavir’s 58, and then Manal Chauhan and Mohit Ulva’s Jalwa when we needed a miracle. What an unbelievable victory. Proud of these young Champions!"

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also congratulated the team, singling out Aaryavir, who finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer with 361 runs and was named Player of the 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,” he said.

Former India pacer Irfan Pathan praised the youngsters for their determination in the high-pressure final.

“What a win by our u19 boys vs Pakistan. Showed the real fighting character. Brilliant to see.”

VVS Laxman, head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence, also lauded the team's composure and resilience.

“Heartiest congratulations boys. The resilience, grit and composure you displayed under pressure was outstanding. You showed great character, belief and determination when it mattered most. Proud of the way you represented India. Keep learning and keep raising the bar. Well done team.”

Former India opener Aakash Chopra joined the celebrations, describing the victory as a memorable achievement.

“An absolutely stellar win by our Under-19 boys against Pakistan in the Asia Cup finals. So so proud and happy for each one of them. Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.”

Ulva, who hails from Lakhtar in Gujarat's Surendranagar district, was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 49 off 26 deliveries. His innings featured five fours and three sixes and proved decisive in India's last-ball triumph.

The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) also congratulated the team, with its president Jaydev Shah highlighting the contributions of Ulva and fellow Saurashtra player Aryan Savsani.

“It is indeed a remarkable, phenomenal and outstanding achievement by Team India to emerge victorious against Pakistan in such a thrilling and nail-biting final. The manner in which our young team chased down a challenging target of 337 runs reflects their tremendous character, confidence and determination.

“Mohit Ulva’s match-winning and historic unbeaten innings of 49 runs is particularly special and shall be remembered for a long, long time. It is a moment of immense pride for Saurashtra cricket.

“Having witnessed his progress and performances, I am confident that Mohit has a very bright future ahead and will go on to represent Team India on numerous occasions and in many prestigious tournaments. I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Mohit, Aryan and the entire Indian Under-19 team for this magnificent achievement,” added Shah.