Doha, (UNI) Pakistan A stormed to an eight-wicket victory over India A, chasing down 137 in just 13.2 overs in the sixth Group B match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
Opener Maaz Sadaqat produced a commanding unbeaten 79, steering his side to a dominant win after their bowlers had earlier restricted India A to 136.
Starting the chase, Sadaqat wasted no time asserting control, striking early boundaries off Yash Thakur and Gurjapneet Singh. He launched Gurjapneet for a four and six in consecutive deliveries and continued his assault with crisp strokes through deep backward point and long-on off Suyash Sharma. His clean hitting brought Pakistan A 56 in the six-over powerplay.
Mohammad Naeem supported him with a swift 14 off 10 deliveries, including a four off Thakur and a six off Naman Dhir, before falling at 55 for 1 in the sixth over, caught by Dhir at deep mid-wicket.
Yasir Khan came in with attacking intent, striking boundaries off Dhir and Dubey, but he departed for 11 when Suyash Sharma induced a top-edge that was taken by Yash Thakur at 94 for 2 in the tenth over.
Sadaqat, however, marched on relentlessly. He hammered Dhir for two massive sixes over long-on and third man in the seventh over, and followed up with a towering strike off Suyash over long-on in the 12th over. With the target well within reach, he added back-to-back fours off Thakur through fine leg and long-on, pushing Pakistan A firmly ahead.
Mohammad Faiq provided solid support, beginning with a leg-bye four and later hitting Thakur for a boundary over deep mid-wicket. He then sealed the match in style by launching Dhir over deep mid-wicket for six on the first ball of the 14th over, finishing unbeaten on 16 from 14 balls.
Pakistan A ended at 137 for 2 with 40 balls to spare. India A’s bowlers struggled throughout, conceding 13 wides and failing to build any sustained pressure. Dhir’s 27 runs in 1.2 overs proved costly, while Thakur (1 for 35) and Suyash (1 for 31) were the only wicket-takers.
India A made a bright start after being sent in to bat, with openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya finding early boundaries. Arya struck two fours before falling for 10 in the fourth over, leaving India A at 30 for 1.
Suryavanshi continued to play aggressively, hitting three sixes and five fours in a 28-ball 45, but his dismissal in the 10th over halted India’s early momentum.
The most promising phase for India A came through the partnership between Suryavanshi and Naman Dhir. Dhir played fluently, striking boundaries off multiple bowlers and lifting a six over mid-wicket on his way to a quick 35 from 20 balls. However, his wicket at 79 for 2 triggered a shift in control, and Pakistan A began to tighten their grip on the innings.
Middle-order batsmen struggled to rebuild as wickets fell regularly. Jitesh Sharma was dismissed for 5, Nehal Wadhera was stumped for 8, and Ashutosh Sharma fell lbw for a duck. Ramandeep Singh showed brief promise with a six over extra cover before edging behind for 11. India A’s slide continued as the innings moved into the final overs.
Harsh Dubey provided some late resistance with a few well-timed boundaries, but his dismissal for 19 in the 19th over ended India A’s hopes of a strong finish. The tail offered little as Yash Thakur and Suyash Sharma fell quickly, leaving India A all out for 136.
Pakistan A’s bowlers were clinical, with Shahid Aziz leading the attack with 3 for 24, supported by Maaz Sadaqat’s 2 for 12 and steady contributions from the rest of the bowling unit.
Pakistan A outwit India A by eight wickets in Doha
