ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 Points Table: Updated standings after Pakistan A vs India A, Match 12
Wednesday (July 19) was the last day of group stage action of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023. The 11th match saw Nepal beat UAE A to finish the competition on a winning note. India A and Pakistan A went head-to-head in the 12th match and a solid all-around performance saw India A emerge victorious.
With a convincing win over Pakistan A, India A retained their top position in Group B. India A won all three group games and finished at the top of the table with six points to their name. Pakistan A suffered their first loss of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 but still secured the second spot in the group with four points.
Nepal registered their first win of the competition by beating UAE A in their final game; they finished third with two points and have been eliminated from the competition. UAE A failed to win a single game in the tournament and finished at the bottom of the Group B points table.
Sri Lanka A topped the Group A table with two wins from three matches and a net run rate of +1.693. Bangladesh A followed Sri Lanka A in the points table, with four points and a net run rate of +1.263.
Afghanistan A failed to qualify for the semi-finals despite securing the same number of points as Bangladesh A and Sri Lanka A. Their net run rate of +0.416 meant they finished third in the group. Oman A remained winless in the competition and finished at the bottom of the Group A points table.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar and Sai Sudharsan star in India A’s win over Pakistan A
The 12th match of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 saw Pakistan A lock horns against India A. Pakistan A batted first, but were blown away by Rajvardhan Hangargekar, who grabbed a fifer to dismantle Pakistan A for just 205 runs in 48 overs. Qasim Akram top-scored with 48 for Pakistan A.
India A opener Sai Sudharsan led the chase and played some wonderful strokes. He was well-supported by Nikin Jose (53) who batted at number three. Sudharsan remained unbeaten on 104 off 110 balls to take his side across the line in the 37th over. Pakistan A managed to pick only two wickets as they suffered their first loss of the competition.
In the 11th match of the tournament, UAE A won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision backfired as they were bundled out for 157 runs in 44 overs. Opener Lovepreet Singh was the only batter who crossed the 20-run mark, scoring 52 runs off 82 deliveries. Kushal Bhurtel bowled brilliantly for Nepal and picked up six wickets, giving away 40 runs in his 10 overs.
In reply, Bhurtel stepped up with the bat as he played a fantastic knock at the top of the order, scoring 71 off 43 balls to give his side a solid start. Nepal lost seven wickets but held their nerve to get across the line in 23 overs.
Mohammed Faraazuddin picked up a fifer for UAE A, but it wasn’t enough as they succumbed to their third consecutive loss in the competition.