India ‘A’ boost chances of place in final with win over Afghanistan ‘A’

Thursday, 18 June 2026 00:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

India ‘A’ Captain Tilak Varma batting during his innings of 59

India ‘A’ overcame their Super Over loss to Sri Lanka ‘A’ by producing a strong batting performance to register a mammoth 101-run win over Afghanistan A in their final league fixture of the ‘A’ team One-Day Tri-Series played at the Rangiri Dambulla Cricket Stadium yesterday to significantly boost their chances of reaching the final.

Asked to bat first, India ‘A’ posted 319-9, powered by half-centuries from Priyansh Arya, Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra. Afghanistan ‘A’ played well in spurts but failed to build any momentum, eventually falling well short getting all out for 218.

Afghanistan ‘A’ play host Sri Lanka ‘A’ in the final league game on 19 June at the same venue needing to win and overturn a near-impossible net run-rate deficit.

After a drama-filled encounter against Sri Lanka ‘A’ that ended in a Super Over defeat, India ‘A’ made a few changes. Prabhsimran Singh was left out, with Arya promoted to open alongside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The pair added 75 runs in just eight overs. Sooryavanshi, who had to contend with non-cricketing issues in the lead-up to the game, made an unusually scratchy 38 off 28 balls.

At the other end, Arya was fluent from the outset and timed the ball beautifully racing to a 34-ball half-century, striking eight fours and a six. However, he was unable to convert the start into a bigger score, falling for 58 off 42 balls. India ‘A’ then lost Ruturaj Gaikwad shortly after another promising start - 30 off 31 balls.

Kumar Kushagra, ensured there was no middle-order wobble. He joined captain Tilak Varma for a risk-free 104-run partnership off 122 balls that steadied the innings and laid the foundation for a strong finish. Kushagra struck five boundaries in his 67-ball 58, while Tilak was more measured in compiling 59 off 75 deliveries (5 fours). India ‘A’ also benefited from a handy 41-run stand off 29 balls for the seventh wicket, with Vipraj Nigam contributing a brisk 30 off 20 balls.

Afghanistan ‘A’ began brightly in the chase, with captain Imran Mir leading the charge through a 27-ball 32. However, they were unable to maintain the momentum and lost three wickets inside the first 10 overs despite keeping the required rate under control.

Faisal Shinozada and Bahir Shah revived the innings with an 87-run partnership off 89 balls that briefly raised hopes of a comeback. But Anukul Roy broke the stand by dismissing Shinozada four runs short of a half-century.

Bahir Shah reached his fifty (57 off 52 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) but could not push on. His dismissal effectively ended Afghanistan ‘A’s hopes as India ‘A’ tightened their grip on the contest and closed out the game without much trouble. Left-arm spinner Nishant Sindhu finished with 4/31 as Afghanistan ‘A’ were bowled out with 13.1 overs remaining. – [ST]

Scores:

India ‘A’ 319-9 (50) (Priyansh Arya 58, Vaibhav Sooriyavanshi 38, Ruturaj Gaikwad 30, Tilak Varma 59, Kumar Kushagra 58, Nishant Sindhu 21*, Vipraj Nigam 30, Faridoon Dawoodzai 2/74, Abdullah Ahmadzai 2/62, Farmanullah Safi 2/62)

Afghanistan ‘A’ 218 (36.5) (Imran Mir 32, Faisal Shinozada 46, Bahir Shah 57, Yash Thakur 2/48, Nishant Sindhu 4/31)