Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pulls off an amazing acrobatic catch vs Afghanistan A: Watch

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again showed why he is regarded as one of India’s brightest young prospects when he produced a sensational acrobatic catch during India A’s Tri-Nation Series clash against Afghanistan A at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Wednesday 17 June.

A breathtaking moment came in Afghanistan’s sixth innings when Anshul Kamboj bowled a backstop to Khalid Taniwal. Looking to accelerate, Taniwal went for an aggressive shot down the leg side but didn’t get the required elevation. The ball traveled quickly to Sooryavanshi who initially looked to have completed a routine catch.

However, the youngster briefly lost control of the ball as it slipped out of his hands. What followed was a remarkable display of athleticism and presence of mind. Realizing the ball was still in play, Sooryavanshi quickly turned and launched into a full-length dive, extending his right hand to grab the ball inches above the ground before it could touch the turf.

The crowd and his team-mates erupted into celebration as Taniwal sent a brilliant effort back to the pavilion on 13 balls off 10, an innings that included a four and a six.

HOW SOORYAVANSHI WALLED AGAINST AFGHANISTAN AND

Sooryavanshi scored a brisk 38 off 28 ballsbut his shifts were as much about luck as taste. The youngster soon survived a major scare when the stunning catcher was overturned after the third umpire ruled that the ball had touched the ground during the completion of the catch.

His luck continued as Afghanistan A missed two more chances. A top-edged shot from Faridoon Dawoodzai was dropped by the square-leg fielder, while another ill-timed pull from Abdullah Ahmadzai landed safely after just eluding the retreating mid-on fielder.

Sooryavanshi made the most of these reprieve and played a string of eye-catching knocks, smashing four boundaries and two sixes. He was particularly aggressive against Dawoodzai, picking him apart with back-to-back boundaries and a towering six. However, after several missed chances, Dawoodzai finally got his reward when Sooryavanshi miscued a shot that puffed towards cover point where Khalid Taniwal completed a simple catch.

Despite his lucky runs, Sooryavanshi’s cameo played a key role in India’s 101-run victory. The win took India to the top of the points table with four points and a net rate of +0.797. The youngster has now scored 117 runs in four matches at an average of 29.25 and a strike rate of 153.94, with a top score of 44.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

17 Jun 2026 20:03 IST