Maaz Sadaqat’s blazing unbeaten 79 off 47 balls powered Pakistan Shaheens to a commanding eight-wicket victory over India ‘A’ in their Rising Stars Asia Cup Group ‘B’ clash on Saturday, chasing down 137 with 40 balls to spare.
The 19-year-old all-rounder, who also claimed two wickets earlier, single-handedly dismantled India’s bowling after a dropped catch, ensuring Shaheens maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Electing to bowl first at Doha’s West End Park, Pakistan’s disciplined attack triggered a spectacular Indian collapse, bundling out the opposition for 136 in 19 overs after a promising start.
Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 14, lit up the innings with a fiery 45 off 28 balls (five fours and three sixes), smashing boundaries at will against Ubaid Shah and Shahid Aziz. Partnering with Naman Dhir (35 off 20, six fours and a six), Suryavanshi added 49 for the second wicket, propelling India to 81-2 by the ninth over.
But Sufiyan Muqeem’s left-arm wrist spin turned the tide, dismissing Suryavanshi caught at long-on in a contentious decision upheld after multiple replays.
Captain Jitesh Sharma’s scratchy five precipitated a middle-order meltdown; India lost eight wickets for just 35 runs in the final 10 overs.
Maaz (2-12) and Saad Masood (2-31) choked the scoring with clever variations, while Shahid (3-24) mopped up the tail with yorkers and slower balls. Harsh Dubey’s late 19 off 15 offered brief resistance, but India’s total — the tournament’s lowest a day after their 297 against UAE — proved inadequate.
Shaheen’s chase began aggressively, Maaz and Mohammad Naeem (14 off 10) racing to 51-0 in five overs thanks to Gurjapneet Singh’s wayward spell (. Yash Thakur provided a breakthrough, with Dhir’s diving catch at mid-off, but Maaz exploded; a half-century off 31 balls included audacious sixes off Dhir’s off-spin and Suyash Sharma.
Dropped on 56 by Suryavanshi at point, Maaz unleashed fury, sealing victory with Mohammad Faiq (16 not out off 14) via a pull for six in the 14th over.
India’s fielding woes — missed chances and misfields — compounded bowling errors, as Pakistan’s required run rate dipped below four.
Scores in brief:
INDIA ‘A’ 136 in 19 overs (V. Suryavanshi 45, N. Dhir 35; Shahid Aziz 3-24, Saad Masood 2-31); PAKISTAN SHAHEENS 137-2 in 13.2 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 79 not out, Mohammad Faiq 16 not out)
