Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi could not hide his excitement on Sunday after Pakistan Shaheens defeated India A by eight wickets in a Group B match of the Rising Stars Asia Cup in Doha.
The strong India A side, led by Jitesh Sharma, collapsed unexpectedly and missed out on securing a place in the semi-finals, while Pakistan marched ahead.
India A were asked to bat first in their second match of the tournament and started very well. Opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi played a blazing knock of 45 runs from just 28 balls. Naman Dhir added to the strong start with a quick 35 off 20 balls. At one point, India A looked set to score more than 170 runs. However, Pakistan’s bowlers turned the game around in dramatic fashion.
Medium pacer Shahid Aziz produced a brilliant spell, taking three wickets in only three overs. Saad Masood and Maaz Sadaqat supported him by picking up two wickets each. India A suddenly lost control of the innings and their last eight wickets fell for just 35 runs in the final 10 overs. Instead of a big total, India A were bowled out for only 136 runs in 19 overs.
Pakistan chased down the target with ease. They reached the score in just 13.2 overs, with 40 balls remaining. The dominant win was India A’s first defeat in the tournament after their convincing opening victory against the UAE.
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi praised the young Pakistan side on social media, calling their performance “dominant, fearless, and unforgettable.” He said the Shaheens showed superb cricket and added that the future of Pakistan cricket looks bright.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
