Akbar and Co make final after Super Over win against India A

Bangladesh A made it to the finals of the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament after beating India A in Super Over at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha on Friday. Ripon Mondol was the hero of the Super Over, bagging two wickets in his first two deliveries and giving nothing away to set a one-run target in the Super Over.

Yet, Yasir Ali Rabbi found the fielder at deep long-on in the first delivery of the Super Over to lose his wicket. A nervy skipper Akbar Ali came to the crease and Suyash Kumar's googly turned and went for a wide to give Bangladesh A the win. The A team will play against Pakistan  in the final on November 23.

Earlier, a comedy of errors ensued which led to the match going into Super Over after Bangladesh appeared to have seized victory in the final over. India needed 16 off the last over and Ashutosh Sharma cleared the ropes off the fourth delivery bowled by Rakibul Hasan to bring the game in balance. India would survive a dropped catch when Jishan Alam dropped a dolly at long-off before the ball trickled away for four to get the equation down to four runs off two deliveries.

Rakibul got the yorker in for the fifth delivery to castle Ashutosh to leave India A needing four off one delivery. Further drama ensued when Harsh Dubey hit the ball down long-on along the ground and almost gave up running. Jishan Alam threw from the boundary as India chanced the second but Akbar then comically collected the ball and threw at striker's end which allowed India to not only complete the second but also get the third off the misfield as India tied the game.

Earlier Bangladesh A got a flying start from Jishan and Habibur Rahman Sohan after being sent to bat. Jishan struck a 14-ball 26 before falling in the fifth over to leave Bangladesh A on 43 for 1. Habibur carried one end as wickets tumbled. Habibur's 46-ball 65, laced with three fours and five sixes carried Bangladesh past 100 but once he departed, closely followed by Mahidul Islam Ankon (1), Tigers found themselves in trouble.

It was SM Meherob's swashbuckling unbeaten 18-ball 48 with one four and six sixes, that gave wings to Bangladesh innings. Yasir Ali also contributed with a nine-ball 17 as Bangladesh A scored 61 in the last three overs to put on 194 for six on the board.

India's Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya dominated proceedings from the start, putting on 53 inside four overs. Abdul Gaffar Saqlain got prodigy Suryavanshi's scalp after a 15-ball 35. Rakibul brought an end to Arya's innings after a 23 off 44 as India reached 101 for 3 in 10 overs. But the wickets significantly slowed the scoring-rate. Jitesh Sharma latched onto Abu Hider with a 23-ball 33 before Akbar took a fantastic catch off Hider to leave India needing 45 to win.

Akbar would drop Ramandeep Singh in the 19th over as the match swayed from one side to another. When calmer heads should have prevailed, Akbar would miss the opportunity to restrict India to two runs in the final delivery. As India ran three, the match went to Super Over before an anticlimactic wide delivery saw Bangladesh clinch the required one run in the Super Over.