India A captain Jitesh Sharma has addressed the substantial criticism he faced for choosing not to send 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi to the crease during the crucial Super Over in the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 semifinal against Bangladesh A.

The match went to a Super Over after both teams finished their innings on an identical score of 194. India A’s performance in the tiebreaker was disastrous, as Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma were both dismissed on the first ball they faced, resulting in India A failing to score a single run. Bangladesh A easily chased the solitary run required to win, booking their place in the final.

Given Suryavanshi’s exceptional form throughout the tournament, which included a dynamic knock of 38 runs off just 15 balls, the decision to leave him out of the high-stakes Super Over lineup was widely questioned.

At the post-match presentation, Jitesh Sharma clarified the rationale behind the selection, emphasizing that it was a strategic team decision that he ultimately finalized.

“In our squad, Vaibhav and Priyansh Arya are considered specialists for the powerplay overs,” Jitesh explained. “Conversely, in scenarios like a Super Over, which is treated like the death overs, Ashutosh and Raman [Ramandeep Singh] have the proven ability to hit boundaries at will. The Super Over lineup was a collective team choice, and I made the final selection.”

Despite the captain’s justification, the move backfired spectacularly, contributing to India A’s exit from the competition.