Bangladesh A’s dramatic win over India came with a moment of embarrassment for captain Akbar Ali, who apologised after his late mistake almost threw the match away. Despite the slip-up, Bangladesh reached the Rising Stars Asia Cup final after securing victory in a tense Super Over.
Bangladesh had several lapses throughout the game. Even with a total of 194, dropped catches and fielding errors meant the match stretched to the final ball. India needed 4 runs off the last delivery; they ran two and were close to defeat, but Akbar’s miss at the stumps allowed them an extra run to tie the match.
The errors continued in the Super Over. With just 1 run required, Yasir Ali Rabbi opted for a six and was caught on the boundary, giving India a chance to pull level again.
But India undid their own work. Suyash Sharma bowled a wide, handing Bangladesh the single they needed and sparing Akbar further embarrassment. Although the team celebrated reaching the final, criticism of the captain’s error quickly spread, prompting his immediate apology.
“First of all, I want to apologise to everyone. I knew they needed four, but I don’t know what happened in my head when I threw the ball,” Akbar said. “When Sohan and I started batting, I would’ve been happy with 180. Later I thought 175 would be enough. But Rabbi and Meherob finished brilliantly.”
He continued, “We didn’t bowl badly at the start, but they played well. We were looking for wickets. Ripon’s 19th over was superb and brought the game back to us. I trusted Rakibul in the final over and he almost did it. But with the missed catches and fielding mistakes, it went to a Super Over.”
Reflecting on the chaos, Akbar added, “I still don’t understand what happened in the last 20 minutes. We’ll think it through and prepare properly for the final.”
