Drama often finds its own way into India–Pakistan cricket matches, even at the junior level, and the India A vs Pakistan Shaheens clash at the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 was no exception. What should have been a routine check by the TV umpire turned into a moment that changed the course of the game and left even the usually calm Jitesh Sharma visibly frustrated.
Maaz Sadaqat, who finished the match unbeaten on 79, had launched the first ball of the 10th over bowled by Suyash Sharma high towards the boundary. India’s Nehal Wadhera sprinted across with an acrobatic attempt that showed quick thinking and remarkable awareness. Realising that his momentum would drag him over the rope, he kept the ball in play by tossing it back to his teammate Naman Dhir. Naman Dhir safely caught it and the two celebrated what appeared to be a perfectly executed relay catch.
The Indian players were convinced they had dismissed the well-set batter and the on-field umpire referred the decision upstairs only as a formality. But after a long look, third umpire Morshed Ali Khan shocked everyone by ruling it not out. Jitesh Sharma, leading India A, couldn’t hide his disbelief and confronted the umpire, insisting that his fielder had acted within the laws of the game. Despite the protest, the decision stood.
Here is the video of the incident:
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Adding to the confusion, the delivery was recorded as a dot ball. No boundary was signalled and the two runs Maaz Sadaqat had completed before the relay catch were also ignored, leaving players and viewers puzzled.
The ruling became even more perplexing because of the ICC’s updated guidelines on boundary catches introduced in July. Law 19.5.2 states that a fielder may jump from outside the boundary to play the ball as long as every subsequent contact with the ground until the ball becomes dead happens inside the field of play. A boundary is only scored if that fielder touches the ground outside the rope again during the play.
In this case, Nehal Wadhera released the ball before stepping out and never touched it again after crossing the boundary. According to the law, the catch should have been valid, unless he had made a second contact outside the field, which he didn’t.
Maaz Sadaqat had been on 56 when the chance was denied and the reprieve proved costly. Pakistan Shaheens cruised to an eight-wicket win, securing their place in the semifinals.
The match will be remembered not for its cricketing dominance but for the moment, the catch that looked clean was ruled not out.
