After lucky escape against Sri Lanka, India A lose to Afghanistan in Dambulla tri-series

Brief scores: India A: 349/9 in 49 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 84, Ruturaj Gaikwad 66, Tilak Varma 66, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 44) lost to Afghanistan A 177/2 in 25.5 overs (Imran Method 75, Shah not out, D. Bashir 51 not out

After riding their luck to narrowly escape against hosts Sri Lanka in the Talent Tri-series opener, India A were decimated by a combination of clinical batting by Afghanistan A and heavy monsoon rain at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Thursday 11 June. IND A vs AFG A highlights

Afghanistan A were rewarded for their fearless approach in a thrilling run on an overcast afternoon, eventually sealing a famous Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) victory by four runs. The result leaves the tri-series wide open, with Tilak Varma’s side now having one win and one loss from the opening two matches.

Sent in to bat first under threatening skies, India A posted a rain-restricted 349 for 9 in their 49 overs. The innings was anchored by a sublime attacking stroke from wicketkeeper Prabhsimran Singh, who smashed 84 off just 69 balls. He laid a solid foundation alongside senior batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad, who compiled a steady 66, while skipper Varma bolstered the middle order with a fluent 66 of his own.

However, the initial explosive spark came from 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The teenager played an extremely mature yet aggressive hand as he made 44 off just 22 deliveries. Significantly, Sooryavanshi traded aerial aggression for calculated restraint; he consistently cut through the field to find the boundary rope without hitting a single six, showing impressive tactical awareness for his age.

Despite a flurry of late innings, Afghan medium pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai kept the tourists at bay, returning exceptional figures of 5 for 68 to prevent an even bigger Indian total.

A heavy downpour during the innings break changed the complexion of the match considerably. After a delay, the target was officially recalculated using the DLS method, leaving Afghanistan A with a steep modified mountain to climb: 294 runs from 38 overs.

While the required run rate of nearly 7.75 overs looked more than enough to test the depth of the Afghan outfit, the Indian bowling unit fell well short of expectations. The offense struggled for consistency on a wet surface, unable to generate sustained pressure or take advantage of useful atmospheric conditions.

Full credit goes to the Afghan batsmen who refused to be overwhelmed by the rising rate. Opener Hassan Eisakhil set the tone early with a quickfire 35, attacking the Indian bowlers with the new ball. After Eisakhil’s dismissal, captain Imran Mir took complete control of the chase.

Playing a captain’s knock under immense pressure, Imran remained unbeaten on 75 and showed excellent awareness of the ticking DLS par score. He found an equally resilient partner in the experienced Bahir Shah. The duo put together a crucial, unbroken century partnership that consistently kept Afghanistan’s nose in front of the required math thresholds.

INDIAN BOWLERS ARE FIGHTING

The Indian bowling unit struggled to find their rhythm on the damp surface, unable to take advantage of the helpful overcast conditions or create sustained pressure. Left-arm seamer Arshad Khan, despite breaking a dangerous 63-run opening stand by dismissing quick-fire Hassan Eisakhil (34), lacked control in his opening spells and scattered the ball around him, notably conceding a five-wide boundary in a critical over.

As skipper Tilak Varma turned to his big spin options, the slow bowlers proved very ineffective on a slippery pitch. The orthodox left-armer Anukul Roy managed to catch Khalid Taniwal leg before briefly leaving Afghanistan at 69 for 2, but the respite was short-lived. Leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam found no help from the surface and saw a close, critical shout against Bahir Shah silenced while seamer Anshul Kamboj and Yash Thakur routinely missed their lengths. The infield deployment did little to restrict the flow and allowed Imran Mir and Shah to comfortably dictate the pace and stay ahead of the escalating demands of DLS.

As the ground lights came on and darkness enveloped the stadium, the pair bowled out Afghanistan A for a comfortable 177 for 2 in 25.5 overs. At this exact moment, the heavens opened again, forcing the umpires to call off play at 5.30pm.

Subsequent calculations showed that Afghanistan were three runs ahead of the required DLS score. With the rain gods showing absolutely no mercy for the rest of the evening, the game was officially called off, confirming a four-run victory for the Afghans.

India A must now regroup quickly after this setback. They will enjoy a three-day turnaround before taking on Sri Lanka A on Monday, June 15, in a crucial match that will go a long way in determining their chances of reaching the final of the tri-series.

– The end

Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

11 Jun 2026 19:22 IST