Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi was in the limelight as Pakistan A became the first team to win the Asia Cup Rising Stars title for the third time. On Sunday, November 23, Irfan Khan Niazi’s men defeated Akbar Ali’s Bangladesh in a thrilling final that went to a Super Over at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.
Bangladesh, who were chasing their first title in the history of the tournament, fell short. Naqvi was present at the venue and cameras panned to him several times as he watched the contest with visible excitement. After Pakistan won the title, he presented the trophy to the winning captain.
In this context, it is worth recalling that Naqvi, who also serves as the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has previously refused to hand over the 2025 Asia Cup trophy to India after beating Pakistan in the final in September at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Despite India’s request that the vice-chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board present the trophy, Naqvi insisted on doing it himself. The Indian team refused, leading to an abrupt halt to the presentation ceremony and the removal of the trophy from the field. Naqvi later claimed that Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav should collect the trophy in person at the ACC office in Dubai.
PAKISTAN TRIUMPH IN THRILLER
After being asked to bat first against Bangladesh A, Pakistan’s innings swung dramatically between promise and collapse. They were rattled early at 2 for 2, with Yasir Khan and Mohammad Faiq departing cheaply. Maaz Sadaqat (23 off 18) and Arafat Minhas (25 off 23) kept rebuilding and got Pakistan back on track with decisive knocks. But regular wickets prevented Pakistan from breaking free.
The innings finally picked up steam as Saad Masood played the knock of the match – 38 off 26 balls with three fours and three sixes. His counter attack lifted Pakistan from 75 for 6 to a competitive total. Late contributions from Shahid Aziz and Sufiyan Muqeem helped Pakistan finish on 125, with Ripon Mondol taking 3 for 25 and Rakibul Hasan taking 2 for 16 doing the scoring.
Bangladesh’s reply got off to a bright start thanks to Habibur Rahman Sohan (26 off 17) but Sufiyan Muqeem’s excellent 3 for 11 and Arafat Minhas’ double strike reduced them to 53 for 7. Rakibul Hasan (24) offered resistance with a stunning 19 in the 19th over against Amonslad Saqel in the Faoursaqel title. But Ahmed Daniyal gave away six runs in the last over to force a Super Over.
In the Super Over, Daniyal dismissed Saqlain and Jishan Alam despite missing five Wides, restricting Bangladesh to six. Chasing the target calmly, Saad Masood hit a fine-leg boundary and followed with a single to seal a dramatic title win for the Shaheens.
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
November 24, 2025
