Who is Mohit Ulva? The 18-year-old cricketer from Jamnagar grabbed the spotlight after smashing an unbeaten 49 off 26 balls against Pakistan in the U19 Asia Cup 2026 final.
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Meet Mohit Ulva who sealed Asia Cup final against Pakistan (Photo: BCCI)
Mohit Ulva was the talk of the town after a match-winning performance in the final of Under-19 Asia Cup 2026 against PakistanThe 18-year-old batter held his nerve in a tense finish and struck the winning boundary off the final delivery to help India secure a thrilling one-wicket victory and lift the trophy.
India were chasing a stiff target of 338 runs and looked set for defeat after losing eight wickets for 252 runsBut Ulva came through when his team needed him mostComing in at No10, he smashed an unbeaten 49 off just 26 balls to take India across the finish line.
It was a remarkable performance under pressure against a strong Pakistan bowling attack with little support left in the batting orderBut just who is Mohit Ulva, the young man who put on such a memorable show on the big stage?
Who Is Mohit Ulva?
Mohit Ulva is an 18-year-old cricketer from Jamnagar, GujaratHe is a right-handed batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler who has progressed through Saurashtra’s age-group cricket system before earning a place in India’s Under-19 team.
He started his path to professional cricket through the village tennis ball cricketHis father, who worked with the Railroad Protection Force (RPF), saw his interest and talent in the sport and encouraged him to take up formal training in cricket.
Ulva later joined the Cricket Bungalow academy in Jamnagar, where he trained under coach Mahendrasinh ChauhanThe coach has also played an important role in the development of India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
From Off-Spinner To Fast Bowler
Interestingly, Ulva did not start his cricket career as a fast bowlerHe started out as an off-spinnerHowever, his coach noticed his ability to run well and felt that his physical build could suit pace bowling.
Chauhan advised him to try out fast bowling and the young boy slowly grew into a right arm medium pacerAlong with improving his bowling, Ulva continued working on his batting skills, which eventually helped him become a useful all-round option.
His progress through Saurashtra’s age-group cricket structure opened the door to the India U19 setup.
Mohit Ulva’s Match-Winning Knock Against Pakistan
Ulva’s biggest moment arrived in the Asia Cup finalWith India struggling at 252/8, he joined Manal Chauhan and helped rebuild the chaseThe pair added 57 runs for the ninth wicket, with Manal scoring 47 off 32 balls.
After Manal’s dismissal, Ulva continued the fight alongside No11 batter Chigurupati Venkata, who remained unbeaten on 11India needed eight runs from the final over, and the match went down to the last delivery.
With three runs required off the final ball, Ulva attacked leg-spinner Ahmed Hussain and hit a boundary towards long-offHis unbeaten 49 off 26 balls sealed India’s one-wicket win and delivered the U19 Asia Cup title in dramatic fashion.
