Bangladesh A staged a dramatic chase in the Rising Stars Asia Cup final against Pakistan Shaheens in Doha, with Ripon Mondol and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain leading the fightback. After restricting Pakistan Shaheens to 125 in 20 overs, Bangladesh A also finished on 125, taking the match into a Super Over.
Pakistan Shaheens struggled to build partnerships against disciplined bowling from Bangladesh A. Abdul Gaffar Saqlain was particularly effective in the final overs, keeping the score under control. Early breakthroughs by Ahmed Daniyal and Sufiyan Muqeem put Pakistan on the back foot, and a crucial run out by Daniyal ensured they were bowled out for a modest total.
Chasing 126, Bangladesh A started aggressively with Habibur Rahman and Jishan Alam taking charge. Habibur smashed a six in the first over, while Jishan followed with quick runs to maintain momentum. However, early wickets fell as Jishan (22) was trapped in front by Arafat Minhas and Habibur (26) bowled by Saad Masood, leaving Bangladesh under pressure at 36/3.
The middle-order struggled against tight bowling from the Shaheens. Mahidul Islam (duck) and Akbar Ali (2) fell to the spinners, followed by Yasir Ali (8) and Mrittunjoy Chowdhary, leaving Bangladesh 53/5 at the halfway mark.
At this critical juncture, Ripon Mondol and Abdul Gaffar Saqlain launched a brilliant counterattack. Ripon’s composure and Saqlain’s power hitting added crucial boundaries, including multiple sixes in the penultimate over, keeping Bangladesh in the hunt. Their partnership brought Bangladesh to 119/9 in 19 overs.
With the final over requiring three runs off two balls, Bangladesh could not find the boundary, and a leg bye on the last delivery levelled the scores at 125, forcing a Super Over.
