"This negative attitude reflects poorly on their nation’s mindset" - Irfan Pathan slams Pakistani fans for trolling India U-19 team 

Irfan Pathan expressed his displeasure over some Pakistani fans celebrating the India U-19 team's defeat to Australia in the recently concluded final of the ICC U-19 World Cup at Willowmoore Park on Sunday.

The Men in Blue suffered a batting collapse while chasing a 254-run target in the summit clash. India were ultimately bundled out for 174, suffering a heartbreaking 79-run defeat.

Slamming Pakistani supporters for trolling India's U-19 players despite them making it to the final, Pathan wrote on the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter):

"Despite their U19 team not making it to the final, keyboard warriors from across the border find pleasure in our youngsters’ defeat. This negative attitude reflects poorly on their nation’s mindset. #padosi"

India entered the U-19 World Cup final unbeaten. However, their juggernaut came to a screeching halt in the all-important contest. Harjas Singh, with his 55-run knock, was the top performer for Australia with the bat, while Mahli Beardman and Rafael Macmillan shone with the ball, bagging three wickets each.

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"We played a few rash shots today" - India U-19 captain Uday Saharan on the side's loss to Australia

Speaking at the post-match presentation, India U-19 captain Uday Saharan lauded his teammates for their admirable performances at the ICC event.

He pointed out how a few loose shots from some batters cost them the game. Saharan said:

"I'm proud of the boys, they played really well. Showed good fighting spirit throughout the tournament. We played a few rash shots today, didn't spend time in the middle. We were prepared but couldn't execute the plans. Lots of learnings from this tournament, learnt a lot from the support staff and even during the games. We will try to keep learning and getting better."

It is worth mentioning that India U-19 skipper Uday Saharan finished as the highest run-getter of the 2024 U-19 World Cup, chalking up 397 runs across seven innings at an average of 56.71.