In a closely fought contest, India A edged out Pakistan A by 7 runs in the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup at Al Amerat on Saturday.
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, India A set a target of 184 runs. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh provided a solid foundation, scoring 68 runs in the powerplay. However, Sharma was dismissed for 35 by Sufiyan Muqeem, and Prabhsimran followed soon after, contributing 36 off 19 deliveries before falling to Arafat Minhas. India A were at 76/2 in 7.4 overs.
Nehal Wadhera and captain Tilak Varma steadied the innings with a partnership, pushing India A to 100 runs in 11.3 overs. Wadhera scored 25 before being bowled by Muqeem, leaving India A at 114/3 in 13.4 overs. Ayush Badoni’s brief stay at the crease ended with a score of 2, dismissed by Qasim Akram.
India A reached 150 in 17.4 overs, with Varma top-scoring with 44 before being dismissed by Zaman Khan. A late collapse saw India A lose three wickets for just 9 runs, including Nishant Sindhu for 6, Anshul Kamboj for a duck, and Ramandeep Singh, who was run out for 17 off 11 deliveries.
Sufiyan Muqeem was the standout bowler for Pakistan A, finishing with figures of 2/28 from his four overs. Mohammad Imran, Zaman Khan, Arafat Minhas, and Qasim Akram each took one wicket.
In reply, Pakistan A’s chase got off to a rocky start as they lost their captain Mohammad Haris for 6, bowled by Anshul Kamboj. Kamboj struck again, dismissing Omair Yousuf for 2, leaving Pakistan A at 21/2 in 2.3 overs.
Yasir Khan and Qasim Akram launched a counterattack, quickly adding a 50-run partnership in just 27 balls. Yasir scored 33 before falling to Nishant Sindhu. Pakistan A were at 75/3. Qasim followed soon after for 27 off 21 deliveries, also dismissed by Sindhu.
Haider Ali’s departure for 9, courtesy of Rasikh Salam, further dented Pakistan A’s chase. Arafat Minhas provided hope with a quickfire 41 off 29 deliveries, including 5 boundaries and a six, but was dismissed by Salam, leaving Pakistan A at 152/6 in 16.6 overs.
Abdul Samad and Abbas Afridi gave India A a scare with some aggressive shots. 17 runs were needed of the last six balls.However, Kamboj held his nerve, dismissing Samad for 25 on the first ball of the final over. Pakistan A could only manage 9 runs off the last six balls, falling short by 7 runs. Abbas Afridi remained unbeaten on 18 off 9 deliveries.
Kamboj was named Player of the Match for his crucial three wickets for 33 runs and a brilliant final over that sealed India A’s victory. Rasikh Salam and Nishant Sindhu each claimed two wickets to support Kamboj’s efforts.
Brief Score: India A 183/8 (Tilak Varma 44, Prabhsimran Singh 36; Sufiyan Muqeem 2/28) vs Pakistan A ( Arafat Minhas 41, Yasir Khan 33; Anshul Kamboj 3/33). (ANI)
