Pakistan Shaheens defeated India ‘A’ by eight wickets on Sunday to top the Group B standings and secure their place in the semifinals of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025.
The semifinals will be played on Friday, November 21.
Chasing 137, Pakistan made a strong start through Maaz Sadaqat and Mohammad Naeem, who put on 55 runs in just six overs.
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Naeem was dismissed for 14, but Sadaqat kept going and scored an unbeaten 79 off 47 balls, registering his second straight fifty.
Mohammad Faiq supported him with 16 not out as Pakistan completed the chase in the 14th over.
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Earlier, India began aggressively through Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but Pakistan struck at regular intervals.
Suryavanshi (45) and Naman Dhir (35) were the only major contributors as India were bowled out for 136 in 19 overs.
Shahid Aziz was the pick of the bowlers with 3/24, while Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood took two wickets each.
With this win, Pakistan became the first team from Group B to qualify for the knockout stage.
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The second semifinal spot from the group will be decided in the India A vs Oman match, scheduled for tomorrow, November 18, at 7:30 pm PST.
The winner of that match will join Pakistan in the semifinals.
UAE have already been eliminated from the tournament.
In Group A, Bangladesh A and Afghanistan A currently lead the table with one win each, while Sri Lanka A and Hong Kong sit in third and fourth place.
Sri Lanka A’s match against Hong Kong, scheduled for today, November 17, at 2:30 pm PST, will be a must-win encounter for both sides, as the losing team will be eliminated from direct qualification and will have to rely on other results.
Afghanistan A and Bangladesh A are also set to meet today, November 17, at 7:30 pm PST, with the winner earning a potential spot in the semifinals.
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Pakistan will wrap up their group-stage campaign with a match against UAE tomorrow at 2:30 pm PST.
Under the tournament format, the top-ranked team from Group A will face the second-ranked team from Group B, while the top-ranked team from Group B will take on the second-ranked team from Group A in the semifinals.
The final of the tournament is scheduled for Sunday, November 23, at 7:30 pm PST.
As things stand, Pakistan are likely to face the second-placed team from Group A, but that could change depending on the net run rate and the result of Pakistan’s last group match.
Their potential semifinal opponents include the loser of today’s Afghanistan A vs Bangladesh A match, or Sri Lanka A.
