By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Pakistan Shaheens defended a modest total of 125 to beat Bangladesh ‘A’ in a Super Over and retain their Asia Cup Rising Stars title in a tense final at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Sunday.
In a match that shifted dramatically in the closing stages, Pakistan were dismissed for 125 after a top-order collapse, but their spinners dismantled Bangladesh’s batting lineup, reducing them to 53-7. An eighth-wicket partnership of 43 between Rakibul Hasan and SM Meherob revived Bangladesh’s chase, and three sixes in the 19th over from Abdul Gaffar Saqlain forced the game into a Super Over.
Ahmed Daniyal then clean-bowled both batters in the first four balls of the Super Over, limiting Bangladesh to six runs. Ripon Mondol, who had starred with the ball for Bangladesh in the regulation innings, began the Super Over with two yorkers, but Saad Masood’s flicked boundary off the third legal delivery secured victory for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s batting struggled on a surface offering variable pace. They lost opener Yasir Khan to a run-out on the first ball, with Gaffar’s direct hit catching him short of his ground. Two balls later, Mohammad Faiq was bowled by left-arm spinner Meherob, and Ghazi Ghori was out playing down the wrong line to Rakibul, leaving Pakistan at 25-3 inside the powerplay. Maaz Sadaqat offered brief resistance with 23 from 23 balls, but he chopped on to part-time off-spinner Jishan Alam, triggering a further slide. Arafat Minhas scored 25, while Saad contributed a fighting 38 from 26 balls — the only batter to strike above 100 after the powerplay.
Bangladesh’s spinners dominated the middle overs, with Rakibul claiming 2-16 and Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby conceding just 17 runs without a wicket in his four overs. Mondol then dismantled the tail in the 19th over, taking three wickets for two runs, including two accurate yorkers.
Set 126 to win, Bangladesh reached 36-1 after four overs, with Habibur Rahman Sohan hitting Ubaid Shah for a six. The introduction of spin changed the momentum. Arafat Minhas trapped Jishan lbw with his third ball and dismissed Mahidul Islam Ankon in the same manner in his next over. Saad induced Sohan to spoon a long-hop to midwicket, and Sufiyan Muqeem beat Akbar Ali with a skidding delivery, as Bangladesh lost four wickets for eight runs.
Sufiyan, named the tournament’s top bowler, finished with 3-11 from four overs, including two googlies that hit the stumps. At 53-7, Pakistan seemed certain of victory, but Rakibul (24) and Meherob (19) added 37 to keep the chase alive. The tension escalated in the final overs. Shahid Aziz conceded 20 runs in the 19th, including three sixes to Saqlain. Needing seven from the last over, Daniyal restricted Bangladesh to three runs and two byes from the first five balls, with a leg-bye off the final delivery tying the scores and sending the match to a Super Over.
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