Maaz Sadaqat’s unbeaten 79 off 47 balls propelled the Pakistan Shaheens to a resounding eight-wicket victory over India ‘A’ in their Rising Stars Asia Cup Group ‘B’ clash on Saturday, chasing 137 with 40 balls to spare.
The 19-year-old all-rounder, who also claimed two wickets earlier, single-handedly dismantled India’s bowling after a missed catch, ensuring Shaheens maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Choosing to bowl first at Doha’s West End Park, Pakistan’s disciplined attack sparked a spectacular Indian collapse, packing the opposition out for 136 in 19 overs after a promising start.
Teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, lit up the innings with a fiery 45 off 28 balls (five fours and three sixes), smashing boundaries at will against Ubaid Shah and Shahid Aziz. Partnering Naman Dhir (35 off 20, six fours and a six), Suryavanshi added 49 for the second wicket, propelling India to 81-2 in the ninth over.
But Sufiyan Muqeem’s flick of a wrist turned the tide, dismissing Suryavanshi trapped in a controversial decision confirmed after multiple replays.
Captain Jitesh Sharma’s screeching five precipitated a middle-order crisis; India lost eight wickets for just 35 runs in the last 10 overs.
Maaz (2-12) and Saad Masood (2-31) drowned out the scoring with clever variations, while Shahid (3-24) cleared the tail with yorkers and slower balls. Harsh Dubey’s last 19 off 15 offered a brief resistance but India’s total – the lowest of the tournament a day after their 297 against the UAE – proved inadequate.
Shaheen’s chase began aggressively, Maaz and Mohammad Naeem (14 off 10) racing to 51-0 in five overs thanks to Gurjapneet Singh’s wayward spell (. Yash Thakur provided a breakthrough, with Dhir’s catch at mid-off, but Maaz exploded; a 31-ball half-century included audacious sixes from spin from Dhir and Suyash Sharma.
Dropped for 56 by Suryavanshi at point, Maaz unleashed his fury, sealing victory with Mohammad Faiq (16 not out off 14) through a tie for six in the 14th over.
India’s fielding problems (missed chances and fielding errors) compounded the bowling errors, as Pakistan’s run rate required fell below four.
Scores in summary:
INDIA ‘A’ 136 in 19 overs (V. Suryavanshi 45, N. Dhir 35; Shahid Aziz 3-24, Saad Masood 2-31); PAKISTAN SHAHEENS 137-2 in 13.2 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 79 not out, Mohammad Faiq 16 not out)
