Dubai: Palestine, Pakistan earn spots in Arab Classic semifinals

The playoff field for the inaugural Baseball United Arab Classic is officially set after a series of decisive matchups on Saturday.

Pakistan and Palestine earned top positions and an automatic spot in the semifinals, while the UAE, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, and India secured their spots in the quarterfinals.

The teams are now set to compete in high-stakes, do-or-die matchups, on Sunday, at the new ballpark in Rugby Sevens, Dubai.

The semifinals start at 2pm. Championship is at 8pm. Tickets are available on Platinumlist and at the Ballpark Ticket Office right outside the main gate.

“The Semifinals and Championship are shaping up to be absolute classics,” said Kash Shaikh, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder, Baseball United. “Pakistan and Palestine both look great. And the UAE and Sri Lanka both believe they can finish with a trophy. It’s going to be an amazing evening of baseball at Baseball United Ballpark.”

As the playoff picture takes shape, the matchups are set for an action-packed day of baseball, with teams vying for a spot in the Championship and the opportunity to compete for national glory.

On Saturday, Sri Lanka took charge in a commanding 10-0 win over Nepal, led by an explosive offensive display and strong pitching. Center fielder Sameera Rathnayake excelled, going 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBIs.

Third baseman Roshan Samaraweera added to the effort, going 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBIs. On the mound, right-hander Sugath De Silva delivered four scoreless innings, allowing only 2 hits and striking out 2 to help secure the victory.

Meanwhile, the UAE powered past Bangladesh in a 9-2 win, highlighted by standout performances at the plate and on the mound. Right fielder Lorenzo Riddle led the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 outing, launching two home runs and driving in 4 runs. Second baseman Alejandro Perez and shortstop Chris Beyers each contributed two hits and an RBI, adding to the UAE’s impressive lineup. Right-hander Claudio Gomez controlled the game on the mound, throwing five innings with no earned runs and five strikeouts. Bangladesh’s offense was limited to just four hits, with RHPs Tanmoy Das and Salam Chowdhury struggling to hold back the UAE’s momentum.

Pakistan continued their undefeated streak with a commanding 17-3 victory over Afghanistan. Shortstop Zan Shariff led the charge, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and 3 RBIs, while left fielder Amar Mahmood contributed a 3-for-4 performance, including a triple and 3 RBIs.

Right-hander Syed Ali earned the win, pitching 1 ⅓ innings, allowing 3 runs, and striking out 3. Afghanistan, still in search of its first win, struggled to contain Pakistan’s powerful offense as they fell to 0-4 in the tournament, and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Palestine extended their undefeated run with a decisive 12-2 victory over Saudi Arabia. Taking advantage of a struggling Saudi pitching staff that issued 14 walks, Palestine capitalized on every opportunity to secure the win and solidify their strong standing in the tournament. Saudi Arabia, unable to contain Palestine’s disciplined approach at the plate, now looks to regroup after the tough loss.

India secured a dominant 9-1 victory over Bangladesh, advancing to the quarterfinals and eliminating their opponents from playoff contention.

Left fielder Siddarth Vaishnav led the charge, going 3-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. First baseman Narender Kumar added to the offensive attack, finishing 2-for-2 with a double and 3 RBIs. On the mound, LHP Ishan Thakur pitched 2 innings, allowing 1 run while striking out 3 and handed it over to RHP Tushar Lalwani who closed out the game with 2 scoreless innings, striking out 5 batters to seal the win.

Baseball United is the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent.