India A suffered a disappointing defeat against Afghanistan A in the Tri-Nation A Series despite posting an imposing total. Rain interruptions and the DLS method eventually turned the match in Afghanistan A’s favour.
Batting first, India A delivered an impressive performance with the bat and finished with 349/9 in 49 overs. The innings featured several valuable contributions from the top and middle order.
Young opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi provided a blazing start, scoring 44 runs from just 22 deliveries. Ruturaj Gaikwad anchored the innings with a composed 66 off 80 balls, while Tilak Varma added another important 66 runs.
Prabhsimran Singh emerged as the top scorer for India A with an excellent 84 off 69 deliveries. Suryansh Shedge also played a crucial late cameo, contributing 44 runs from 27 balls to push India A to a formidable total.
After rain interruptions, Afghanistan A were set a revised target of 294 runs in 38 overs under the DLS method. They began their chase confidently and kept pace with the required run rate.
Captain Imran Khan led from the front with a solid 75 off 70 balls. Bahir Shah contributed 51 runs, while Hasan Iskhil chipped in with 34 as Afghanistan A reached 177/2 in 25.5 overs.
Before India A could mount a comeback, rain returned and halted proceedings once again. With conditions not improving and the outfield deemed unfit, officials decided to call off the match.
At the time of the stoppage, Afghanistan A were ahead according to the DLS calculations and were declared winners. Despite a strong batting display, India A ended up on the losing side.
The performances of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prabhsimran Singh were major positives for India A. However, the team will be disappointed that a total of 349 runs was not enough to secure victory.
