During the sixth over of the second innings in the Pakistan vs UAE match at the Asia Cup 2025, a wayward throw from a fielder struck umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Pakistan Qualifies for Super Four Amid Umpire Hit Incident
Pakistan secured their spot in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025 with an improved performance in their final league match against the United Arab Emirates. While the team’s composure under qualification pressure was widely praised, a peculiar incident during UAE’s chase grabbed headlines.
In the sixth over of the second innings, a fielder’s throw struck umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge. Saim Ayub was bowling to Dhruv Parashar, who tapped the ball toward the third-man region and ran for a single. The fielder collected the ball and attempted a throw to the non-striker’s end, but it went wildly off target, hitting the umpire on the back of the head.
“Straight on the head of the umpire, what a throw! Bullseye! One job of the fielder is not to hit the umpire…,” Akram remarked during commentary.
A Pakistani fielder hit the umpire on the head with the ball and Wasim Akram said “What a throw bull’s eye.”
— ADITYA 🇮🇹 (@Wxtreme10) September 17, 2025
This is the mentality of every Pakistani. Disgusting.https://t.co/Ud3Knt4oii
After the wayward throw struck umpire Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Saim Ayub immediately rushed over to check on him as he appeared dazed. Pakistan’s team physio quickly conducted a concussion assessment, prompting a brief pause in the game. Ultimately, Palliyaguruge was replaced by reserve umpire Gazi Sohel, who took over officiating duties for the remainder of the match.
Pakistan show intent to qualify for the Super Four
Earlier in the match, UAE captain Muhammad Waseem won the toss and chose to field first. Pakistan struggled from the outset, as Saim Ayub fell for his third consecutive duck in the tournament in the very first over. Sahibzada Farhan followed soon after, leaving at a precarious 9/2 by the third over.
A stabilizing partnership of 61 runs between Salman Ali Agha and Fakhar Zaman brought the innings back on track. Zaman’s brilliant half-century set Pakistan up for a competitive total, but the middle-order faltered again, losing four wickets for just 23 runs. Shaheen Afridi rescued the innings with a quickfire 29 off 14 balls, helping Pakistan finish at 146/9 in their 20 overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers cleaned up the tail efficiently, dismissing UAE for 105 runs in the 18th over, securing a 41-run victory. With this win, Pakistan confirmed their place in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2025. Their next challenge will be against arch-rivals India, where they will aim to bounce back and turn the tables on Suryakumar Yadav and his men.
