India A crashed out of the Rising Stars Asia Cup after an error-ridden performance with bat and ball allowed Bangladesh A to seal victory in a tense Super Over during the semifinal in Doha. Bangladesh posted a strong 194/6 in 20 overs, capitalising heavily in the final stages as Indian bowlers lost control. Despite matching the total thanks to late drama, India’s decision-making and execution failed at crucial junctures.
Instead of sending the in-form Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya for the Super Over, India opted for Jitesh Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma and Ramandeep Singh. The move backfired immediately as both Jitesh and Ashutosh fell for zero against Ripon Mondol. Bangladesh, despite losing Yasir Ali on the first ball of their chase, secured the required run through a wide delivered by Suyash Sharma, advancing to the final on Sunday.
Bright Start, But Momentum Lost
India’s chase had begun in spectacular fashion. Suryavanshi (38 off 15) and Arya (44 off 23) launched an all-out assault, taking the score past 50 in just over three overs. Suryavanshi smashed Mondol for 19 runs in the opening over and continued to attack Meherob Hasan with consecutive sixes. Arya, after a brief settling phase, joined in by hammering two sixes off Jishan Alam before punishing left-armer Abu Hider for 4, 6, 4 in a single over.
However, the momentum broke when Suryavanshi miscued a hit off Abdul Saqlain, and Arya soon followed, both picked out by Jishan Alam in the deep. Jitesh Sharma (33) and Nehal Wadhera (32*) rebuilt well, adding 52 for the fourth wicket, guiding India to 150/3 by the 15th over. But Jitesh’s dismissal to a sharp effort from wicketkeeper Akbar Ali slowed India down.
The lower order of Ramandeep, Ashutosh and Wadhera struggled to accelerate in the final overs, leaving India needing 16 off the last six balls and four off the final delivery. A misjudgement by the Bangladesh wicketkeeper allowed India to steal a third run and tie the match, but the comeback was short-lived as the Super Over ended quickly in Bangladesh’s favour.
Bangladesh’s Late Surge Makes The Difference
Bangladesh’s total itself was shaped by an explosive finish. At 130/6, they were in trouble despite opener Habibur Rahman’s composed 65 off 46. India made a crucial error by giving the 19th over to part-timer Naman Dhir, who conceded 28 runs as Meherob Hasan (48* off 18) launched four sixes and a four.
The final over, bowled by Vysakh Vijayakumar, was also expensive, with Meherob and Akbar Ali (17* off 9) hammering 20 more. Those 48 runs in the last two overs turned the innings around and eventually proved decisive. In the end, India A were left ruing tactical mistakes, poor death bowling, and a misfiring Super Over strategy that cost them a place in the final.
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