Pakistan Shaheens clinched the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 title dramatically on Sunday, edging out Bangladesh A in a tense super over at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium.
The final saw a late fightback from Bangladesh and a cool finish from the Shaheens under pressure. After both teams finished level at 125, Pakistan chased down a seven-run target in the super over, with Saad Masood cracking a boundary on the fourth ball to seal the trophy.
Bangladesh’s chase of 126 had started brightly enough. Habibur Rahman Sohan and Jishan Alam put on 22 runs inside the first three overs, hinting at a confident approach. But once Arafat Minhas trapped Alam lbw and removed Habibur in quick succession, the innings simply lost its rhythm.
Mahidul Islam Ankon fell without scoring, and within the span of a few overs, Bangladesh found themselves wobbling at 36-3. Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws from there, picking up wickets at regular intervals and reducing the Tigers to 53-7 midway through the innings.
Even so, Bangladesh refused to roll over. A gritty 37-run partnership between Ripon Mondol and SM Meherob brought the score closer to respectability, pushing them near triple figures and forcing Pakistan to rethink their plans.
Meherob eventually perished for 19, but the real twist came when Abdul Gaffar Saqlain launched three massive sixes off Shahid Aziz in the dying moments. His 16 off 12 balls brought Bangladesh right back into the contest, dragging the match to the brink. When the dust settled, the Tigers ended at 125-9 — just enough to force the super over.
Earlier in the evening, Pakistan’s batting effort had been far from smooth. Sent in to bat, the Shaheens were rocked immediately when Yasir Khan fell for a golden duck. Mohammad Faiq followed him soon after, leaving Pakistan at a nervous 2-2 inside two overs.
Ghazi Ghori and Maaz Sadaqat tried to steady the innings with a small stand, but Ghori’s slow nine from 14 balls only added to the pressure before he too departed. Bangladesh kept striking through the middle overs, chipping away at the lineup and reducing Pakistan to 49-4 by the seventh over.
Any hopes of a stable rebuild faded when both Arafat Minhas and skipper Irfan Niazi were dismissed before they could settle in. With Pakistan struggling at 75-6 in the 15th over, the innings was in danger of collapsing completely.
That was when Saad Masood stepped up with a much-needed counterattack. His 38 off 26, featuring three fours and three towering sixes, finally gave Pakistan something to work with, helping them reach 125 by the end of the innings. Ripon Mondol was exceptional for Bangladesh, finishing with three wickets, while Rakibul Hasan chipped in with two.
In the end, Pakistan’s fight with the ball, followed by composure in the super over, made the difference. Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 final tested both teams’ nerve, but the Shaheens held theirs, lifting the Asia Cup Rising Stars trophy after a night of cricket that swung wildly until the very last moment.