'Pakistan a soft target': Manjrekar questions India's aggressive celebrations

Explained

What happened

India's Under-19 cricket team beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, and the result has prompted a comment from former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar about how the players celebrated. According to The Times of India, India won by just one wicket in a nail-biting finish. IndiaToday describes the win as a last-ball victory, so both outlets agree on how narrow the margin was.

Both outlets report that Manjrekar criticised the team's aggressive celebrations. IndiaToday quotes him calling Pakistan a "soft and easy" opponent, although that quote is cut off in the report. The Times of India, whose headline calls Pakistan a "soft target," says he suggested the team should consider facing tougher opposition. The two reports present the same basic point in slightly different wording.

Why it matters

The remarks connect two separate questions: how a team should celebrate a win, and how strong the opposition is. According to IndiaToday's headline, Manjrekar's view is that India should show aggression against bigger teams. Based on the reports, his criticism is aimed at the celebrations after a win over Pakistan, not at the victory itself.

The story is mainly commentary. It reflects one former player's opinion, and the reports do not describe any response from the Indian team, the Pakistan side, or cricket authorities.

What we don't know yet

The available reports are excerpts, and both are cut off mid-sentence, so Manjrekar's full remarks are not clear from them. The reports do not describe exactly what the celebrations involved, and they do not say whether the players or officials have responded. Beyond the one-wicket margin and the last-ball finish, the extracts give no further details about the match itself. Readers who want the complete comments should check the full articles from The Times of India and IndiaToday.

Written by the 91News.in desk with AI assistance, based on reports from Times of India, IndiaToday. Updated 15 Nov 2026, 9:05 pm. Spotted an error? Tell us.