Pakistan A lifted the Asia Cup Rising Stars trophy for a record third time on Sunday, November 23, after edging out Bangladesh A in a nerve-wracking final that stretched into a Super Over at Doha’s West End Park International Cricket Stadium. Irfan Khan Niazi’s side held their nerve in the closing moments, denying Akbar Ali’s Bangladesh their first-ever title in the tournament. ACC chief and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi was a prominent presence throughout the evening. Cameras repeatedly showed him reacting animatedly from the stands as the contest swung wildly. Once Pakistan sealed the victory, he stepped onto the field to present the trophy to captain Irfan Khan. His appearance brought back memories of the controversial ending to the 2025 Asia Cup final in Dubai, where Naqvi insisted on personally handing the trophy to India. The Indian team declined, leading to the ceremony being abruptly halted. Naqvi later stated that India captain Suryakumar Yadav should collect the trophy from the ACC office instead.
Pakistan’s innings earlier in the day had fluctuated sharply. Reduced to 2 for 2 after early blows to Yasir Khan and Mohammad Faiq, they recovered through steady contributions from Maaz Sadaqat (23 off 18) and Arafat Minhas (25 off 23). But wickets continued to fall, leaving Pakistan at 75 for 6. Saad Masood then produced the innings of the match—an aggressive 38 off 26 balls featuring three fours and three sixes—which pushed Pakistan to a fighting total of 125. Ripon Mondol (3 for 25) and Rakibul Hasan (2 for 16) kept the scoring under tight control. Bangladesh A’s chase began well thanks to Habibur Rahman Sohan’s 26 off 17, but Sufiyan Muqeem’s superb 3 for 11 and two wickets from Arafat Minhas left them reeling at 53 for 7. A late burst from Rakibul Hasan and a dramatic 19-run 19th over from Saqlain and Mondal revived the chase, yet Ahmed Daniyal’s tidy final over pushed the match into a Super Over. Daniyal struck twice in the Super Over despite bowling five wides, restricting Bangladesh to six. Saad Masood then sealed Pakistan’s historic win with a boundary and a composed single.
