A moment unfolded on Sunday evening during the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025 match between India A and Pakistan Shaheens that took social media by storm.
Pakistan easily won the match by 8 wickets, but the headlines were something else: a bizarre and never-before-seen catch controversy.
Caught, not out… but no run either!
The incident occurred on the first ball of the 10th over. Suyash Sharma bowled the ball, and Pakistan batsman Maaz Sadaqat, who was then on 56 (36)*, hit the ball and sent it towards the boundary.
Before the ball could go out for a six, Indian fielders Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir combined to complete a brilliant relay catch, at least that’s what they thought.
TV replays clearly showed that Nehal ran to the right, caught the ball, and Naman took the catch. The entire team began celebrating, but then the matter went to the third umpire.
TV umpire Morshed Ali Khan gave it “NOT OUT.”
Meaning the batsman was not out. The matter didn’t end there.
The Indians spoke with the on-field umpire for a long time, but the decision remained unchanged.
Now the real twist: the ball was not considered a six, nor was the batsman out. Instead, it was declared a dot ball, leaving even the spectators baffled.
Maaz Sadaqat said – “I was also confused…”
Following the incident, many players and journalists expressed surprise on social media. Maaz Sadaqat said after the match:
“I was also confused. Either it should have been a six or out, but a dot ball was unexpected.”
India A scored 136 runs in the match, with star player Vaibhav Suryavanshi scoring 45 (28). Maaz Sadaqat performed brilliantly for Pakistan, scoring 79 (47) to lead the team to victory.
In the last Asia Cup, India-Pakistan matches were marred by numerous controversies, sometimes over a lack of handshakes, and sometimes over the trophy dispute. Now, this new issue is in the news in the Rising Stars tournament.
This strange umpiring decision has once again raised questions about why TV umpire rules are so unclear, especially in high-intensity matches like India vs. Pakistan.
