Bangladesh A Eliminate India A With Super Over Heroics To Reach Final

In a nail-biting finish to the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025, Bangladesh A stunned India A by winning the 1st semi-final via a Super Over on November 21 at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium, advancing to face the winner of the Pakistan A vs. UAE A clash in the final. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, India A restricted Bangladesh A to 194/6 in 20 overs, but their chase faltered dramatically, ending at 194/6 to force the tiebreaker. The Super Over turned into a one-sided affair, with Bangladesh A needing just one run and securing victory off a wide delivery, while India A was skittled for a golden duck—bowled out for 0/2 in the first two balls—highlighting a shocking collapse under pressure in the high-stakes under-25 tournament designed to unearth Asia's next generation of T20 stars.

Bangladesh A's innings was a blend of caution and carnage, anchored by Habibur Rahman Sohan's gritty 65 off 46 balls—his second fifty of the tournament—and finished with fireworks from SM Meherob's unbeaten 48 off 18, including three sixes in the 19th over alone. Openers Jishan Alam (26) and Habibur laid a 43-run platform in 4.2 overs before India A's bowlers struck back: Gurjapneet Singh dismissed Alam, Ramandeep Singh removed Zawad Abrar (13 off 19) at 76/2, and Harsh Dubey claimed two quick wickets of Akbar Ali (9) and Habibur at 126/5. A crucial 50-run stand in just two overs between Meherob and Yasir Ali (17 off 9) propelled the total, with Meherob's late assault yielding 28 runs in the penultimate over off Naman Dhir. India A's attack, led by Dubey's 2 (economy unspecified), showed promise but leaked 22 in the final over, setting a daunting 195-run target on a batsman-friendly pitch.

India A's response began explosively, thanks to teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi's blistering 38 off just 15 balls, plundering 19 in the opening over with two sixes and a four off Ripon Mondol, followed by 16 more (two sixes) against SM Meherob. Paired with Priyansh Arya, who smashed 19 in an over off Abu Hider, including two fours and a six, they raced to 53/1 by the fourth over before Suryavanshi holed out to long-on off Abdul Gaffar Saqlain. The middle order wobbled with Naman Dhir (7 off 12) falling to a full toss from Hider at 66/2 and Arya (runs unspecified) edging Rakibul Hasan at 98/3, but Nehal Wadhera and Jitesh Sharma kept the chase alive. Drama peaked in the death overs: needing 16 off the last six, India managed boundaries but lost Ramandeep Singh to Mondol's yorker at 176/5; in the final over, Ashutosh Sharma's six was followed by a dropped catch leading to a four, but Rakibul's strike left them needing 4 off the last ball—scoring just 3 to tie and head to the Super Over.

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The decider exposed India A's fragility: Ripon Mondol, earning Player of the Match honours, produced two perfect yorkers to dismiss Jitesh Sharma (bowled attempting a reverse sweep on the first ball) and Ashutosh Sharma (edged to extra cover on the second), bundling them out for 0. Bangladesh A, chasing 1, saw Yasir Ali caught off the first legal ball from Suyash Sharma, but the wide to Akbar Ali handed them the win without further fuss. The loss ends India A's campaign on a sour note despite their group-stage dominance, while Bangladesh A's composure under lights—bolstered by Mondol's all-round brilliance and Meherob's finishing—propels them toward a potential title. Suryavanshi's fiery knock, though brief, reaffirms his status as a future star, but the Super Over debacle will sting as a lesson in high-pressure execution for this young squad.

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