The drama unfolded in the 10th over of the Pakistani innings when Indian leg-spinner Suyash Sharma sent down a delivery that Sadaqat flicked towards the boundary. Nehal Wadhera sprinted down the field, showed incredible athleticism and made a near-impossible catch.
Jitesh Sharma led the launch protest in India
Realizing that his momentum would take him over the boundary, Wadhera threw the ball to teammate Naman Dhir, who completed the catch and began celebrating. The on-field referees immediately referred the decision to TV referee Morshed Ali Khan.
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Later, the third umpire stunned everyone by ruling the catch as not out, leaving India A captain Jitesh Sharma furious on the field. Jitesh Sharma argued fiercely with the on-field umpire, insisting that the relay catch was completely legitimate, but the decision was not changed and Sadaqat was given the lifeline.
Adding to the drama, the ball was counted as a spot. No six was awarded and the two points Sadaqat scored in the try were also not awarded, leaving players and fans scratching their heads. While Sadaqat remained on the edge, India A was left fuming over a decision.
What does the ICC rule?
This incident comes after the International Cricket Council (ICC) updated the boundary catch rules in July. Law 19.5.2 of the ICC Rules of Play for T20Is states: “A fielder may then jump from outside the boundary to make contact with the ball while in the air.
After contacting the ball once it is in the air, all subsequent contact with the ground by that fielder until the ball becomes dead must be within the field of play. Any subsequent contact with the ground outside the boundary by that fielder during that ball, whether in contact with the ball or not, will result in a boundary being scored.”
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As per the updated rule, Nehal Wadhera followed the correct process during the relay catch. After throwing the ball to his teammate, he never touched it again.
If he had stepped outside the boundary, touched the ground and then made contact with the ball again while jumping into the air before re-entering the field, the catch would have been considered illegal.
The Doha disaster for India A as Pakistan’s Shaheens complete a one-sided chase
Meanwhile, India A collapsed dramatically to suffer a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Pakistan A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 match in Doha on Sunday. India A decided to bat first after winning the toss, and they looked at ease and in complete control at 91 for three in just the 10th over.
But then something happened that surprised everyone. A sudden and incredible batting collapse saw the entire team fold just 136, losing the remaining seven wickets in no time.
Pakistan’s powerful bowling attack turned the game on its head with a brutal spell that India A simply couldn’t handle.
Chasing a small target of 137, Pakistan A showed complete dominance. Their batters played freely and crossed the finish line with a whopping 40 balls to spare.
Sadaqat then played a match-winning knock of 79 runs off 47 balls and also scalped two wickets to play a key role in Pakistan’s easy eight-wicket win to book a semi-final spot in the ongoing Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025.
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