Dambulla tri-series: Tilak Varma and India A make amends, hooray for the final

Brief Scores, IND A vs AFG A: India A (319 for 9 in 50 overs, Tilak 59, Priyansh 58) beat Afghanistan A (218 – all out in 36.5 overs, Nishant Sindhu 4/31) by 101 runs in Dambulla on Wednesday. Highlighting

Days after facing heavy flak for losing his cool and letting a thrilling three-series game slip away against Sri Lanka, skipper Tilak Varma stepped up when it mattered most in Wednesday’s must-win clash against Afghanistan A. After hitting a patient 59 to help build a solid platform laid by 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, his fabulous troops in India successfully they defended well31, Varma Dambulla will book their place in the tri-series final.

India A looked completely shaken after losing to Sri Lanka A in a messy Super Over on Monday. Tilak Varma was widely criticized for seeming to cross the lines arguing his team’s case with the on-field umpires on more than one occasion when the going got tough. Sooryavanshi also faced the heat for a physical offense after pushing a Sri Lankan player after the match. Needing nothing less than a win on Wednesday to keep their tournament alive, the men in blue came out with all guns blazing, remaining remarkably composed and focused on the job at hand.

A convincing all-round performance eventually saw India A defeat Afghanistan A by 101 runs. The comprehensive victory snapped the defending champions’ two-game winless run and catapulted them to the top of the points table with four points. India A boast an excellent Net Run Rate of 0.597 and have comfortably booked their place in Sunday’s grand final. Even if Afghanistan A, currently languishing at the bottom with two points and a poor NRR of -1.602, manage to upset second placed Sri Lanka A on Friday, they cannot overcome a massive statistical deficit.

THE VAIBHAV FIRE

India A produced a complete performance in Dambulla on Wednesday, riding on a strong batting and clinical bowling effort to defeat Afghanistan A by 101 runs in the tri-series.

Asked to bat first on a surface that looked slow and two-paced, India A got off to a flying start through openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya. The pair attacked the Afghan bowlers from the start, stitching 75 runs in the first eight overs and putting the opposition on the back foot immediately.

Sooryavanshi looked again with a sinister touch and showed off his range with sharp drives and some towering sixes. Just when he looked set for a sizeable score, the youngster fell for 38. Trying to pull a short ball from Faridoon Dawoodzai that squeezed his space outside the off-stump, he mishit the shot and departed.

Meanwhile, Arya continued her aggressive approach and scored a quick fifty in just 29 deliveries. The left-hander looked destined for a bigger score before perishing for 58, cutting Farmanullah straight to the field at point. His release coincided with the pitch slowing down noticeably, forcing India A to change their approach.

With the ball no longer coming to the bat as freely, Tilak Varma and vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad focused on rebuilding. Neither batsman found it easy to score and Gaikwad’s innings came to an unfortunate end when he was caught on the underside of Abdollah Ahmadzai’s leg side after making 30.

Tilak then took charge of the innings. The skipper adjusted to the knock expertly and compiled 59 off 67 deliveries, while Kumar Kushagra provided valuable support with a composed 58. Their fourth-wicket partnership produced 104 runs and ensured that India A maintained control despite a slowdown in scoring in the middle overs.

Although the run rate dipped for a considerable period around five overs, Vipraj Nigam injected new momentum towards the end. His brisk 30 off 20 balls helped India A cross the 300-run mark to close at 319 for nine.

NISHANT SINDHU SEPT

Afghanistan A never recovered after losing the first wickets in the chase. Yash Thakur struck first by dismissing Hassan Eisakhil for 14, with Gaikwad taking a sharp catch. Anshul Kamboj then removed Khalid Taniwal for 13 before Nishant Sindhu outwitted skipper Imran Mir to compound Afghanistan’s woes.

The only significant resistance came through Bahir Shah and Faisal Shinozada. The duo combined for a 87-run stand that briefly revived Afghanistan’s hopes, with Shah making a fighting 57 off 52 balls and Shinozada contributing 46. However, the chase unraveled quickly as both batsmen fell in quick succession.

Tilak channeled his resources impressively, often adjusting his fields and encouraging his bowlers to attack. His proactive captaincy paid dividends as India A tightened the contest.

Sindhu was an outstanding performer with the ball, claiming 4 for 31 in 6.5 overs. Thakur finished with 2 for 48 while Kamboj, Suryansh Shedge, Anukul Roy and Nigam chipped in with a wicket each as Afghanistan A were bowled out for 218 in 36.5 overs. (With inputs from PTI)

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

17 Jun 2026 19:23 IST