218/10 (36.5)
CR : 5.92
319/9 (50.0)
CR : 6.38
India A won by 101 runs 🏆
Player of the Match
Nishant Sindhu
4/3121(26)*
Over 37
Afghanistan A 218/10
Zahir Khan4(9)
Faridoon Dawoodzai1(1)
Nishant Sindhu4-31(6.5)
IND-A won by 101 runs
5:33 PM IST, LOCAL TIME: In cricket, destiny knocks softly... but champions make sure the door is wide open. Who had the bigger prize on their mind today? India-A or Afghanistan-A? The answer became clearer with every passing over in Dambulla. India-A not only needed a win, but also needed to keep Afghanistan-A to 236 or fewer to leapfrog Sri Lanka-A on net run rate and secure a place in the final. What followed was a complete performance. Bat. Ball. Field. India-A posted a commanding 319/9 and then bundled Afghanistan-A out for 218 in just 36.5 overs. The result? A crushing 101-run victory and a ticket to the final. Mission accomplished. Statement delivered.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did the first innings begin? With fearless intent from India's young openers. Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out swinging and immediately put Afghanistan-A under pressure. India-A raced to 53 without loss in six overs and reached 75 by the end of the eighth over. Vaibhav was particularly aggressive, smashing 38 off 28 balls with four fours and two sixes. His opening stand of 75 with Arya laid the perfect platform. Faridoon Dawoodzai finally broke through in the eighth over when Vaibhav miscued a pull shot to Khalid Taniwal. But by then, India-A had already seized the initiative.
Did Afghanistan-A fight back during the Powerplay and middle overs? Yes, briefly. Priyansh Arya continued his assault and reached a brilliant fifty before Farmanullah Safi struck in the 15th over. Arya departed for 58 off just 42 balls, packed with nine boundaries and a six. Abdullah Ahmadzai then removed Ruturaj Gaikwad for 30 in the 18th over, leaving India-A at 129/3. Was the momentum shifting? It looked that way for a moment. However, skipper Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra had other ideas. The pair absorbed the pressure beautifully and rebuilt with patience and maturity. Their partnership became the backbone of the innings.
What happened in the second Powerplay phase? India-A regained complete control. Tilak Varma anchored proceedings with a composed 59 off 75 balls, while Kumar Kushagra matched him stroke for stroke with a valuable 58 from 67 deliveries. The fourth-wicket partnership carried India-A from 129/3 to 233/4 and frustrated Afghanistan-A's bowlers. Kumar eventually perished trying to force the pace, bowled by Faridoon in the 38th over. Zahir Khan then removed Suryansh Shedge cheaply. Yet India-A still had enough batting left. The platform had been built. Now came the finishing touches.
Could India-A find a strong finish? Absolutely. Even after Tilak fell for 59 in the 45th over, the lower middle order accelerated brilliantly. Vipraj Nigam played a sparkling cameo of 30 off just 20 balls, striking four boundaries and keeping the scoreboard moving. Nishant Sindhu remained unbeaten on 21 and rotated the strike smartly. India-A crossed 300 in the 49th over and finished on a formidable 319/9. Afghanistan-A picked up wickets late through Farmanullah and some run-outs in the final over, but the damage had already been done. A target of 320 was always going to require something special.
Now... the Chase!!!
What was Afghanistan-A's response? Brave. But far too inconsistent. Hassan Eisakhil and Imran Mir came out attacking, knowing the asking rate demanded aggression. Hassan smashed 14 off 9 before Yash Thakur struck. Khalid Taniwal followed soon after, despite a quick 13. Afghanistan-A reached 70/3 in 9.4 overs when Nishant Sindhu removed captain Imran Mir for 32. At that stage, they were scoring quickly but also losing wickets regularly. India-A knew every wicket brought them closer not only to victory, but also to the net run rate equation they desperately needed.
Could the middle order rescue the chase? For a while, yes. Faisal Shinozada and Bahir Shah produced Afghanistan-A's best partnership of the innings. Faisal made a steady 46 from 56 balls, while Bahir counterattacked with an impressive 57 off 52 deliveries, including four boundaries and a six. Together they pushed the score to 157/4 and briefly raised hopes of a competitive finish. But Anukul Roy's sharp caught-and-bowled dismissal of Faisal proved crucial. Then Vipraj Nigam removed Bahir in the 28th over. Suddenly, Afghanistan-A's chase lost its heartbeat. The required rate climbed. The pressure mounted. India-A smelled blood.
Who delivered the knockout punch? Nishant Sindhu. The left-arm spinner produced a match-winning spell of 4/31 in 6.5 overs. He first removed the dangerous Imran Mir, then returned at the death to dismantle the lower order. Abdullah Ahmadzai, Shams Ur Rahman, and Zahir Khan all fell to him. Yash Thakur chipped in with two wickets, Anshul Kamboj claimed one, while Anukul Roy and Suryansh Shedge struck at key moments. India's fielding was equally outstanding. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stunning catch to dismiss Khalid Taniwal and Ashok Sharma's incredible relay catch on the boundary to remove Mohammad Ishaq highlighted a superb all-round effort.
Let's rewind a bit...
How did the first innings begin? With fearless intent from India's young openers. Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi came out swinging and immediately put Afghanistan-A under pressure. India-A raced to 53 without loss in six overs and reached 75 by the end of the eighth over. Vaibhav was particularly aggressive, smashing 38 off 28 balls with four fours and two sixes. His opening stand of 75 with Arya laid the perfect platform. Faridoon Dawoodzai finally broke through in the eighth over when Vaibhav miscued a pull shot to Khalid Taniwal. But by then, India-A had already seized the initiative.
Did Afghanistan-A fight back during the Powerplay and middle overs? Yes, briefly. Priyansh Arya continued his assault and reached a brilliant fifty before Farmanullah Safi struck in the 15th over. Arya departed for 58 off just 42 balls, packed with nine boundaries and a six. Abdullah Ahmadzai then removed Ruturaj Gaikwad for 30 in the 18th over, leaving India-A at 129/3. Was the momentum shifting? It looked that way for a moment. However, skipper Tilak Varma and Kumar Kushagra had other ideas. The pair absorbed the pressure beautifully and rebuilt with patience and maturity. Their partnership became the backbone of the innings.
What happened in the second Powerplay phase? India-A regained complete control. Tilak Varma anchored proceedings with a composed 59 off 75 balls, while Kumar Kushagra matched him stroke for stroke with a valuable 58 from 67 deliveries. The fourth-wicket partnership carried India-A from 129/3 to 233/4 and frustrated Afghanistan-A's bowlers. Kumar eventually perished trying to force the pace, bowled by Faridoon in the 38th over. Zahir Khan then removed Suryansh Shedge cheaply. Yet India-A still had enough batting left. The platform had been built. Now came the finishing touches.
Could India-A find a strong finish? Absolutely. Even after Tilak fell for 59 in the 45th over, the lower middle order accelerated brilliantly. Vipraj Nigam played a sparkling cameo of 30 off just 20 balls, striking four boundaries and keeping the scoreboard moving. Nishant Sindhu remained unbeaten on 21 and rotated the strike smartly. India-A crossed 300 in the 49th over and finished on a formidable 319/9. Afghanistan-A picked up wickets late through Farmanullah and some run-outs in the final over, but the damage had already been done. A target of 320 was always going to require something special.
Now... the Chase!!!
What was Afghanistan-A's response? Brave. But far too inconsistent. Hassan Eisakhil and Imran Mir came out attacking, knowing the asking rate demanded aggression. Hassan smashed 14 off 9 before Yash Thakur struck. Khalid Taniwal followed soon after, despite a quick 13. Afghanistan-A reached 70/3 in 9.4 overs when Nishant Sindhu removed captain Imran Mir for 32. At that stage, they were scoring quickly but also losing wickets regularly. India-A knew every wicket brought them closer not only to victory, but also to the net run rate equation they desperately needed.
Could the middle order rescue the chase? For a while, yes. Faisal Shinozada and Bahir Shah produced Afghanistan-A's best partnership of the innings. Faisal made a steady 46 from 56 balls, while Bahir counterattacked with an impressive 57 off 52 deliveries, including four boundaries and a six. Together they pushed the score to 157/4 and briefly raised hopes of a competitive finish. But Anukul Roy's sharp caught-and-bowled dismissal of Faisal proved crucial. Then Vipraj Nigam removed Bahir in the 28th over. Suddenly, Afghanistan-A's chase lost its heartbeat. The required rate climbed. The pressure mounted. India-A smelled blood.
Who delivered the knockout punch? Nishant Sindhu. The left-arm spinner produced a match-winning spell of 4/31 in 6.5 overs. He first removed the dangerous Imran Mir, then returned at the death to dismantle the lower order. Abdullah Ahmadzai, Shams Ur Rahman, and Zahir Khan all fell to him. Yash Thakur chipped in with two wickets, Anshul Kamboj claimed one, while Anukul Roy and Suryansh Shedge struck at key moments. India's fielding was equally outstanding. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stunning catch to dismiss Khalid Taniwal and Ashok Sharma's incredible relay catch on the boundary to remove Mohammad Ishaq highlighted a superb all-round effort.
Time for the post-match presentations.
Player of the Match: Nishant Sindhu
Nishant Sindhu (Player of the Match): "(How tough was it to bowl in this wicket?) Yes it was obviously hard to bowl on the tired track. I just focused on bowling in the right line and length.
(What difference do you feel between the Indian pitches and these pitches?) They are almost same. We played many games in this kind of wicket so we are used to it.
(Anything you want to take forward from this game?) We just want to take one game at a time. We are looking forward to the next game."
(What difference do you feel between the Indian pitches and these pitches?) They are almost same. We played many games in this kind of wicket so we are used to it.
(Anything you want to take forward from this game?) We just want to take one game at a time. We are looking forward to the next game."
Imran Mir (Afghanistan-A Captain): (On the team's position in the chase) "Initially, we got a bit of a start. Then the partnership between Bahir and Faisal was quite good. We thought the target was gettable. But then they lost their wickets and couldn't make it through.
(On the bowling performance) I think the bowlers did not perform the way we expected them to. But in between, they made a good comeback and did a good job. I expect them to do better in the upcoming game.
(On the must-win game ahead) It's going to be a very important game. We will, Inshallah, try our best. We will come with a positive intent."
(On the bowling performance) I think the bowlers did not perform the way we expected them to. But in between, they made a good comeback and did a good job. I expect them to do better in the upcoming game.
(On the must-win game ahead) It's going to be a very important game. We will, Inshallah, try our best. We will come with a positive intent."
Tilak Varma (India A Captain): "(Was it a good toss to lose?) Honestly we wanted to bowl first. But the wicket did not change much. I think bowlers took the responsibility and bowled well.
(What was the game plan and how hard was it to bat on this surface?) Honestly the way their pacers were bowling was good. They were bowling on good lengths. I tried to follow my basics. We were just looking for partnerships.
(What are the takeaways from these tournaments?) Definitely there will be a lot of learnings. Many of the guys in our squad are playing first time and it is a big learning for them. They are learning nicely. You can see compared to last two games, how they came today. So it is a big learning for everyone."
(What was the game plan and how hard was it to bat on this surface?) Honestly the way their pacers were bowling was good. They were bowling on good lengths. I tried to follow my basics. We were just looking for partnerships.
(What are the takeaways from these tournaments?) Definitely there will be a lot of learnings. Many of the guys in our squad are playing first time and it is a big learning for them. They are learning nicely. You can see compared to last two games, how they came today. So it is a big learning for everyone."
So what does this result mean? Everything. India-A did not just win. They dominated. They posted 319/9. They bowled Afghanistan-A out for 218 in 36.5 overs. Most importantly, they restricted them well below the 236-run mark required to overtake Sri Lanka-A on net run rate. The margin of victory was 101 runs. The reward is a place in the final of the Sri Lanka A Tri-Series. A complete team performance. A clinical response under pressure. And with confidence soaring, India-A now march into the final believing the trophy is within touching distance.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Saptak Sanyal, and scorer Dushyant Madhukar Kumar. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Saptak Sanyal, and scorer Dushyant Madhukar Kumar. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!!