Doha, Qatar – Tensions flared during Sunday's Asia Cup Rising Stars match between India A and Pakistan A, as Pakistan A spinner Saad Masood gave an animated send-off to Indian batter Naman Dhir after dismissing him. The incident occurred in the ninth over of the India A innings at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha.
Dhir, who had been looking dangerous with a quickfire 35 off 20 balls, had just dispatched Masood for a boundary with a paddle sweep towards fine leg. However, on the very next delivery, Dhir mistimed his shot, chipping the ball straight to extra cover where Pakistan A captain Irfan Khan completed a simple catch.
Immediately after the dismissal, a fired-up Masood turned towards Dhir, pointing emphatically towards the dugout and seemingly shouting instructions for him to head back to the pavilion. Dhir, however, remained composed and didn't react to Masood's aggressive celebration, silently walking off the field.
The send-off from Masood has sparked debate among cricket fans, with some criticizing his aggressive behavior and others viewing it as a display of passion in a high-stakes game.
Earlier in the day, Irfan Khan won the toss and opted to field, putting India A in to bat first. Both India A and Pakistan A entered the match with confidence, having won their respective opening Group B encounters. India A had defeated the UAE, while Pakistan A had emerged victorious against Oman.
In India A's previous match against the UAE, 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi had grabbed headlines by smashing a joint second-fastest T20 century by an Indian batter, reaching the milestone in just 32 balls. Suryavanshi's impressive innings included 15 sixes and 11 fours, as he scored 144 off 42 balls, equaling Rishabh Pant's record of a 32-ball century for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh in 2018.
In the match where the send-off occurred, Suryavanshi continued his good form, scoring 45 off 35, and along with Naman Dhir's 35 off 20, helped India A to post 136 before being bowled out in the 19th over.
The incident involving Masood and Dhir adds another layer of intensity to the already fierce rivalry between India and Pakistan on the cricket field.
