All-around India A defeat Pakistan A by 7 runs in ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup
Al Amerat (Oman), Oct 19: India A excelled in all three departments, clinching a thrilling seven-run victory over Pakistan to kick off their ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup campaign on an exhilarating note here on Saturday.
India's top order fired in unison as it posted 183 for 8 with Tilak Verma top-scoring with a 35-ball 44 after opting to bat.
Pacers Anshul Kamboj (3/33) and Rasikh Salam (2/30) and spinner Nishant Sindhu (2/15) shared eight wickets amongst themselves to restrict Pakistan to 176/7.
Not only did India shine with the bat and ball, they also delivered an impressive performance in the field, particularly through Ramandeep Singh, who made a stunning catch and saved vital runs in the closing moments.
Openers Abhishek Sharma (35 off 22) and Prabhsimran Singh (36 off 19) unleashed an aggressive assault on the pace attack, sending the ball flying across the field.
Abhishek slapped consecutive boundaries in the first over, while Prabhsimran followed suit by dispatching Zaman Khan for a four and a six in the next over, setting a vibrant tone.
Together, they struck eight boundaries and five sixes, propelling India A to an impressive 68 without loss during the Powerplay.
However, the introduction of spin after the Powerplay slowed their momentum, leading to the loss of both Abhishek and Prabhsimran in quick succession. This brought skipper Verma (44) and Nehal Wadhera (25) to the crease.
As the pitch became increasingly sluggish, Verma took on the anchor role, while Wadhera and Ramandeep (17) found the boundaries.
After losing two wickets to the pace of all-rounder Anshul Kamboj early in the chase, Yasir Khan (33) and Qasim Akram (27) began to attack fiercely.
However, a spectacular catch by Ramandeep at deep midwicket broke their partnership, dismissing Yasir. In the same over, left-arm spinner Nishant made his mark by removing Akram.
Arafat Minhas top-scored for Pakistan with 29-ball 41 but it was Abdul Samad who blazed away to 25 off 15 balls. Samad walked in when Pakistan needed 58 more to win but the 26-year-old hit a six and two back-to-back boundaries off Vaibhav Arora in the 16th over to bring down the equation to 42 off 24 balls.
Samad continued to chip in with Pakistan needing 17 off the last over but the big-hitter was sent marching off the first ball by Anshul with India completing a memorable win.
Brief Scores:
India A 183 for 8 in 20 overs (Tilak Verma 44, Prabhsimran Singh 36; Sufiyan Muqeem 2/28).
Pakistan A 176 for 7 in 20 overs (Arafat Minhas 41, Yasir Khan 33; Anshul Kamboj 3/33).
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
MP lodge collapse toll rises to two; NDRF continues rescue ops
Anuppur (MP)(PTI): The death toll from the collapse of a four-storey lodge in Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur district rose to two, as NDRF teams continued their operation to rescue those trapped under the debris, police said on Sunday.
‘Aggarwal Lodge', a building located near a bus stand in Kotma town, collapsed around 5.30 pm on Saturday, trapping several people in the vicinity.
An official said the death toll has now risen to two, and five others are injured, of whom two are in a critical condition and have been sent to Shahdol for treatment.
The deceased were identified as Hanuman Deen Yadav (55) and Ramkripal Yadav (50), Anuppur Superintendent of Police Moti Ur Rahman said.
He said that the rescue teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), conducted an overnight operation, and a search is underway for others trapped in the debris.
The ongoing construction work near the 10-year-old building is suspected to have contributed to the collapse, the SP said.
Anuppur Collector Harshal Pancholi said that five people were extricated from the debris, of which two have died.
According to eyewitnesses, a loud explosion sounded as the building collapsed, sending a cloud of dust engulfing the area.
The bus stand area was teeming with commuters at the time of the incident, and construction work was underway on a nearby plot of land, they said.
Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister and Minister in-charge of Anuppur district, Dilip Ahirwar, and Minister of Cottage and Village Industries, Dilip Jaiswal, visited the site late on Saturday night, along with senior officials, and supervised the relief and rescue operations.
Speaking to reporters, Ahirwar assured that every aspect of the accident would be investigated and action would be taken against those responsible.
He said that the state government's priority is to safely rescue those trapped in the debris and provide them with proper treatment.
#WATCH | Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh: NDRF team, along with sniffer dogs, conduct search and rescue operations to extricate people trapped in the debris of the building that collapsed in Kotma
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2026
As of now, two people have died following the collapse of the 4-storey building in Kotma,… https://t.co/g1ZTh7JrNe pic.twitter.com/0fBnqnmehf
