Sadaqat Stars as Pakistan Shaheens Defeat India A to Advance

In a commanding performance, the Pakistan Shaheens secured their place in the semi-finals of the Asia Cup Rising Stars with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over India A. The match, held at West End Park Stadium in Doha, Qatar, saw Pakistan chase down a target of 137 runs in just 14 overs.

The standout player was Maaz Sadaqat, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner and batsman, who scored an impressive unbeaten 79 runs off 47 balls. In addition to his batting prowess, Sadaqat also took two key wickets, dismissing India A’s captain Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera.

India A Struggles to Build Momentum

After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, India A initially capitalized on the opportunity, led by 14-year-old opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Following a record-breaking innings of 144 against the UAE just two nights prior, Suryavanshi looked in fine form, establishing a solid 49-run partnership with Naman Dhir after the early dismissal of Priyansh Arya for 10 runs.

Suryavanshi scored 45 runs from 28 balls, including three sixes and five boundaries, before being caught at deep mid-wicket by Mohammad Faiq off a delivery from Sufiyan Muqeem. His dismissal marked the beginning of a dramatic collapse for India A, which lost eight wickets for just 45 runs. The team ultimately folded for 136 runs with one over remaining. Seamer Shahid Aziz was particularly effective, claiming three wickets for 24 runs, while Saad Masood and Sadaqat contributed effectively with two wickets each.

Sadaqat Leads Pakistan to Victory

In response, Sadaqat made a decisive impact as the opening batsman, reaching his half-century in just 31 balls. He struck four sixes and seven fours during his innings while forming crucial partnerships with Mohammad Naeem (14 runs) and Yasir Khan (11 runs). Despite losing Naeem and Khan to Yash Thakur and Suyash Sharma respectively, Sadaqat remained untroubled, finishing the match with a six that sent Pakistan through to the semi-finals with 40 balls to spare.

After the match, Sadaqat expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “I am very happy that we have won this match. This success is the result of a lot of hard work. The pitch wasn’t easy to bat on as it was low and slow, but I batted cautiously and am happy to have done well. We have to try and win every match in this tournament, and now we look ahead to our future games.”

In another match earlier in the day, Oman achieved a thrilling last-ball victory over the UAE, chasing down a target of 155 runs. After being sent in to bat, the UAE posted a total of 154 runs with notable contributions from captain Alishan Sharafu (33 runs), Syed Haider (45 runs), and Yayin Rai (34 runs).

Oman faced difficulties in their innings but managed to stay in contention, with significant performances from captain Hammad Mirza (28 runs) and others. With four runs needed from the final over, Oman experienced a tense finish, requiring just one run from three deliveries after a couple of close calls. Ultimately, Samay Shrivastava sealed the win with a single, ensuring Oman’s advancement in the tournament.