Trust an India vs Pakistan game to have a flashpoint that will turn in to a controversy. After the recent Asia Cup tournament, where there were controversies galore, there was a fresh controversy in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 tournament when the India A team faced Pakistan Shaheens (Pakistan A) on Sunday evening. Pakistan won the contest by eight wickets, reaching the target of 137 set by India with 40 balls remaining, but not before there was a moment which was bizarre.
The incident happened on the first ball of the 10th over. Suyash Sharma’s delivery to Maaz Sadaqat was hit away to the ropes by the Pakistan batter, who was batting on 56 from 36 balls when the incident happened. Before the ball could cross the ropes for a maximum, two Indian fielders, Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir, completed a relay catch. Or so the Indians thought. TV replays show that Nehal has grabbed the ball after making a sprint to his right, but as he starts to fall, he throws the ball into the air, where teammate Dhir holds on to it.
While the Indian fielder celebrated a much-needed breakthrough of the half centurion Sadaqat, the on-field umpires sent the decision upstairs to confirm the catch is clean, because the fielder had crossed the rope later. The TV umpire Morshed Ali Khan gave it not out. This led to the Indians protesting with the on-field officials, but to no avail.
But what made matters truly bizarre was that the ball was called a dot ball, rather than a six or a dismissal.
India did manage to get a breakthrough two balls later, of Yasir Khan. But it was Maaz Sadaqat’s wicket they desperately needed. Maaz Sadaqat eventually took Pakistan home to victory with a 47-ball 79.
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Earlier in the match, India star Vaibhav Suryavanshi had scored a 45 off 28 balls but a batting collapse from India had seen them slump to just 136.
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At the senior Asia Cup recently, there were controversies galore as India and Pakistan had faced off thrice in the tournament, including in the final. Initially, there were no handshakes from the Indians for their counterparts and the Men in Blue then refused to accept the winner’s trophy from Pakistan’s Mohsin Naqvi, who is Asian Cricket body’s chief. Naqvi had then reportedly taken away the trophy with him, with the Indian team yet to be given the trophy.
