India A captain Jitesh Sharma made an interesting decision in the Super Over against Bangladesh A in the semi-finals of the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 tournament, leaving the in-form Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the dugout and opening the batting with Ramandeep Singh before bringing in Ashutosh Sharma at No. 3.
The thrilling semi-final took place on Friday, November 22, at Doha’s West End Park International Cricket Stadium. Suryavanshi hit a quick 15-ball 38 at the top of the order as India A chased a 195-run goal. After the match reached the Super Over, India A had to bat first. While everyone expected Suryavanshi, the team’s leading run-getter in the tournament, to bat for the second time that day, Jitesh and Ramandeep marched out to resume play.
After Ripon Mondol removed Jitesh with the first ball, Ashutosh stepped out to bat, with Vaibhav Suryavanshi watching expectantly from the bench.
It was clear that he was eager to run out to the middle and lead India A to a solid total with his big-hitting abilities. However, the India A management had different plans.
Ashutosh was dismissed for a golden duck as India A’s innings ended in two balls. Bangladesh lost Yasir Ali’s wicket on the opening delivery, but Suyash Sharma responded with a wide to give the opposition a historic triumph.
The analysts and fans were perplexed to see India A not send Suryavanshi, who finished the competition with an incredible strike rate of 243.88, out to the middle in the Super Over. Jitesh, on the other hand, stated during the post-match presentation ceremony that Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya are masters of the powerplay, while he, Ashutosh, and Ramandeep performed admirably in the late innings.
“In the team, Vaibhav and Priyansh are masters of the powerplay, while in the death overs, Ashu and Raman can hit at will. So the Super Over lineup was a team decision, and I made the final call,” Jitesh stated.
I should have finished the game: Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh scored 33 off 22 balls, threatening to take the game away from Bangladesh A, before he was dismissed in the 15th over. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru wicketkeeper-batter admitted that he should have finished the game for his team.
“Good game of cricket and a valuable learning experience for us. I will take full responsibility— as a senior, I should have finished the game. It’s about learning, not just winning or losing. You never know, these young players may win a World Cup for India someday. In terms of talent, they’re touching the sky. It’s all about learning and gaining experience,” Jitesh added.
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