Maaz Sadaqat’s 79*, Shahid Aziz’s bowling lead Pakistan A to 8-wicket win over India A in Asia Cup Rising Stars

An outstanding all-round display, led by Maaz Sadaqat’s powerful batting and Shahid Aziz’s sharp bowling, saw Pakistan A register a convincing eight-wicket win against long-time rivals India A in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup (Rising Stars 2025). This victory in Doha makes Pakistan A the first team to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

After winning the toss and electing to field, Pakistan A’s bowling unit lifted India’s innings. Although India A’s openers Vaibhav Suryavanshi (45 for 28) and Naman Dhir (35 for 20) made a strong start and took the score to 79/1, a devastating middle-order collapse saw them lose seven wickets for just 43 runs. Pacer Shahid Aziz emerged as the main threat, taking three vital wickets, while Maaz Sadaqat’s effective part-time spin claimed two important scalps, including that of skipper Jitesh Sharma. Ultimately, India A were bowled out for a meager 136 in just 19 overs.

The chase was a quick display of batting skill led by opening batsman Maaz Sadaqat. Undeterred by the intensity of the India-Pakistan match, the left-handed batsman attacked the Indian bowlers from the very beginning and reached his fifty in just 31 balls. Sadaqat finished his innings unbeaten with a strong 79 off just 47 balls (including 8 fours and 4 sixes), ensuring the target was reached convincingly in just 13.2 overs. Mohammad Faiq completed the innings with the match-winning six.

This impressive eight-wicket victory underlined the impressive form of the Pakistan A team, while India A will need to regroup and perform in their next match to secure their own place in the semi-finals.

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