Doha [Qatar], November 24 : Pakistan Shaheens sealed the Asia Cup Rising Stars title, defeating Bangladesh A in a one-sided final in a Super Over after the match ended in a tie, with a spell from pacer Ahmed Daniyal being the point of difference between both sides.
Pakistan Shaheens were coming into the finals with a five-run win over Sri Lanka A in the semifinals, defending 154 runs successfully, while Bangladesh A reached the finals after beating Jitesh Sharma-led India A in the semifinals, beating them in the Super Over after scores were level at 194 runs each.
On Sunday night, Bangladesh A won the toss and elected to field first. Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals, with them being at 75/6 at one point in 14.2 overs. Saad Masood (38 in 26 balls, with three fours and three sixes) was the top-scorer for Pakistan Shaheens, with his 41-run stand for the seventh wicket with Shahid Aziz (9) pushing them past the 100-run mark. Valuable knocks also came from Arafat Minhas (25 in 23 balls, with four boundaries) and Maaz Sadaqat (23 in 18 balls, with two fours and a six), as Pakistan Shaheens were skittled out for 125 runs in 20 overs.
Ripon Mondol (3/25), who was also instrumental in Bangladesh A's semifinal win over India A, was the star bowler for his side, with Rakibul Hasan (2/16) in four overs, also being a standout performer.
Chasing 126 runs, it was not all rosy for Bangladesh either as they sank to 53/7, with Habibur Rahman Sohan (26 in 17 balls, with a four and two sixes) being the top run-getter in the top seven.
Rakibul Hasan (24 in 21 balls, with three fours and a six) and SM Meherob (19 in 21 balls, with a four and six) put on a 37-run stand, but Daniyal, who has represented Pakistan senior men's team in T20Is, came in clutch with two wickets, reducing them to 96/9 in 17.2 overs.
Abdul Gaffar Saqlain (16* in 12 balls, with two sixes) and Ripon Mondol (11* in nine balls, with a six) helped Bangladesh stage a fightback. Seven were needed in the final over by Daniyal. After conceding four in the first three deliveries, the pacer managed to hold his nerves, leaving the match tied.
During the Super Over, Bangladesh came to bat first. Daniyal ended their Super Over within three legal deliveries by getting two wickets and conceding just six runs, out of which five runs came through extras. Saad produced the match-winning runs for the Shaheens.
Pakistan's Maaz Sadaqat (258 runs in five innings at an average of 129.00, with a strike rate of over 177 including two fifties and best score of 96*) was the leading run-getter in the tournament, with India's rising star 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi finishing behind him with 239 runs in four innings at an average of 59.25, with a strike rate of 243.87 and best score of 144.
Ripon was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 11 scalps in five matches at an average of 12.27, with best figures of 3/10, with Pakistan's spinner Sufiyan Muqeem, who had represented the senior side in four ODIs and 19 T20Is, being the second-highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets at an average of 5.90, with best figures of 3/11.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor