IND vs BAN Live Score, ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars Semi Final: India A will need a far more substantial effort from their top order to complement the red-hot Vaibhav Suryavanshi when they face a dangerous Bangladesh A side in the Rising Stars Asia Cup semifinal here on Friday. Suryavanshi, the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer with 201 runs, has carried the batting almost single-handedly, producing a blazing century and a composed 45.

However, the rest of the batting group—captain Jitesh Sharma, Naman Dhir, Priyansh Arya and Nehal Wadhera—have yet to find top gear. Against a well-rounded Bangladesh A attack, India cannot afford another top-order wobble.

Bangladesh A have already shown their bite in this tournament. They bundled out a strong Afghanistan A line-up featuring Allah Ghazanfar and Sediqullah Atal for just 78, and then pushed Sri Lanka A into the final over in a tense league-stage finish. Their bowling, led by pacer Ripon Mondol and left-arm spinner Rakibul Hasan—both recent inclusions in Bangladesh’s senior T20 side—will pose a far sterner test for India’s batters.

India A’s bowling, though, has been a standout throughout the competition. Left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh leads the wicket charts for India with five scalps in three matches. He has been well supported by left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma, both of whom have taken three wickets each.

Dubey has also made an impact with the bat. Promoted to No. 4 in a must-win clash against Oman, he responded with a crucial half-century to steer India A into the semifinals.

“I had started as an opener and I know that batsman is still there inside of me. I wanted to convert this chance (against Oman). We want to play the kind of game that we played against the UAE and Oman, and we are confident of winning the trophy for the team,” Dubey told bcci.tv.

But on Friday, his bowling will be just as important. Bangladesh A rely heavily on two seasoned power-hitters—opener Habibur Rahman Sohan and captain Akbar Ali. Beyond them, their batting appears slightly fragile, something India A will look to exploit as they aim to storm into Sunday’s final, likely against Pakistan Shaheens.

The second semifinal will see Pakistan Shaheens take on Sri Lanka A under lights.

Teams:
India A: Priyansh Arya, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Nehal Wadhera, Naman Dhir (vc), Suryansh Shedge, Jitesh Sharma (c/wk), Ramandeep Singh, Harsh Dubey, Ashutosh Sharma, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Vijay Kumar Vyshak, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Abhisek Porel (wk), Suyash Sharma.

Bangladesh A: Akbar Ali (c), Md. Habibur Rahman, Yasir Ali, Jishan Alam, Ariful Islam, Rakibul Hasan, Mahidul Ankon (wk), Tofael Ahmed Rayhan, Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, Meherob Hasan, Ripon Mondol, Abu Hidar Rony, Md. Shadin Islam, Zawad Abrar, Md. Abdul Gaffar.