India A suffered a shocking batting collapse against arch-rivals Pakistan Shaheens in their Group A encounter of the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025, a tournament that features A teams of Test-playing nations as well as senior sides from top Asian associate countries. The match took place in Doha on November 16, where India captain Jitesh Sharma was put in to bat after losing the toss to Pakistan skipper Irfan Khan.
Strong Start Turns Into Sudden Collapse
India A began confidently, racing to 30 runs in the first 20 balls with openers Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi providing early momentum. Arya fell for 10, but Sooryavanshi kept the scoreboard moving and partnered with Naman Dhir to add 49 runs off the next 32 deliveries.
Dhir departed soon after, leaving Sooryavanshi—fresh off a century against the UAE—to anchor the innings. However, his aggressive approach led to his dismissal for a well-made 45 off 28 balls. At this point, India A were cruising at 91/2, but once Sooryavanshi walked back, the innings unraveled dramatically.
The team lost eight wickets for just 45 runs across 57 balls, collapsing to 136 all out in 19 overs, a total far below what their early momentum had promised.
Pakistan Shaheens Dominate the Chase
Chasing a modest 137 to secure the top spot in the group, the Pakistan Shaheens looked comfortable from the outset. They powered their way to 56/1 by the end of the first powerplay, needing only 80 more runs at under a run-a-ball with 14 overs still remaining. Their strong start put them firmly in control as they capitalized on India A’s earlier collapse.
The clinical chase highlighted the contrasting fortunes of the two rivals—Pakistan’s composure overshadowing India’s dramatic slide—making this clash a memorable chapter in the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025.
