Pakistan Shaheens clinched the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 trophy after defeating Bangladesh A in a thrilling final at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Sunday.
The match went down to the wire, with both teams finishing on 125 runs in their allotted 20 overs, forcing the contest into a Super Over. Bangladesh batted first in the tie-breaker but suffered an early setback when Ahmed Saniyal removed Abdul Gaffar Saqlain for a first-ball duck.
Although Daniyal conceded a boundary off a wide, he quickly regained control and restricted Bangladesh to just six runs in 0.3 overs.
Chasing seven runs to lift the trophy, Pakistan started with a leg bye that brought Maaz Sadaqat on strike. He picked up a single on the next delivery before Saad Masood smashed a boundary off the third ball, leaving Pakistan needing only one run from three deliveries. Masood then inside-edged the final ball to seal the win and crown Pakistan Shaheens as champions.
Earlier in the match, Bangladesh fell just short of Pakistan’s target of 126, finishing at 125 for nine in their 20 overs. Openers Habibur Rahman Sohan and Jishan Alam got their side off to a strong start, scoring freely in the early overs.
Pakistan responded swiftly. In the third over, Arafat Minhas dismissed Jishan for six off four balls, reducing Bangladesh to 22–1. The Shaheens struck again in the next over when Habibur Rahman was removed for a quick-fire 26 off 13 balls—an innings featuring three fours and two sixes—by Saad Masood.
Arafat continued to apply pressure, trapping Mahidul Islam Ankon for a five-ball duck in the fifth over, leaving Bangladesh struggling at 36–3.
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