It felt as though all the thrill of T20 cricket had poured into one match in Doha, Qatar. In today’s semifinal of the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, Bangladesh ‘A’ faced India ‘A’. After both teams finished on the same score (194) in the allotted 20 overs, the match went to a Super Over.
Batting first in the Super Over, India lost two wickets in two consecutive balls and couldn’t score a single run. Chasing just 1 run, Yasir Ali Rabbi came out to bat but got out attempting a six off the very first ball. What should have been an easy target suddenly became difficult, but Bangladesh eventually won thanks to a wide ball — and secured a place in the final.
Bangladesh made many mistakes throughout the match. Because of missed catches and fielding errors, even after scoring 194 runs, the match went down to the last over and ended in a tie. Before the final ball of India’s chase, they needed 4 runs. They took two runs and were on the brink of defeat. But Akbar Ali missed a chance to hit the stumps, allowing India to take an extra run and tie the game.
Another mistake occurred in the Super Over: with just 1 run needed, Yasir Ali Rabbi attempted a six and got caught at the boundary. However, in the end, Bangladesh advanced with the help of Indian spinner Suyash Sharma’s wide delivery.
Bangladesh ‘A’ are now in the final. The second semifinal between Pakistan ‘A’ and Sri Lanka ‘A’ will be held today, and the winner will face Bangladesh on 23 November in the final.
In the fight to reach the Rising Stars Asia Cup final, Bangladesh started well after electing to bat first in Doha. Openers Sohan and Jisan put on 43 runs in 4.2 overs. Though wickets fell quickly afterward, Sohan scored a fine 65 off 46 balls. The other batters couldn’t contribute much, but late hitting from Meherab and Yasir Rabbi helped the team reach 194.
Chasing 195, India began with a 53-run opening stand. Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 38 and Priyansh Arya 44. Later, Nehal Wadhera and Ramandeep added 26 runs. India needed 16 runs in the last over, but Rakibul’s brilliant bowling ensured the match went to a Super Over.
