India A strengthened their chances of reaching the final of the Sri Lanka A Tri-Series with a convincing 101-run victory over Afghanistan A. After posting a strong total of 319, the Indian bowlers delivered an impressive performance and bowled out Afghanistan A for 218.
Asked to bat first, India A made a positive start. Priyansh Arya and Vaibhav Suryavanshi put together a 75-run opening partnership and gave the team early momentum. Priyansh scored 58 runs from 42 balls, hitting nine fours and one six.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi also looked comfortable at the crease and scored 38 runs from 28 deliveries. His innings included four fours and two sixes. However, he could not convert his promising start into a bigger score.
Following the departure of the openers, Ruturaj Gaikwad contributed 30 runs. Captain Tilak Varma played a composed innings of 59 from 75 balls, while Kumar Kushagra matched him with 58 runs. Vipraj Nigam and Nishant Sindhu added valuable runs to help India A reach 319.
Afghanistan A began the chase with positive intent but struggled to build partnerships. India A continued to take wickets at regular intervals and kept the pressure on. Hasan Isaakhil was dismissed for 14, while captain Imran Mir made 32 before falling to Nishant Sindhu.
Bahir Shah fought hard and top-scored with 57 runs. Faisal Shinozada also contributed 46 runs and tried to keep Afghanistan A in the contest. However, the remaining batters failed to provide enough support as the team was bowled out for 218.
Nishant Sindhu emerged as the star performer with the ball. The left-arm spinner claimed four wickets for 31 runs and played a crucial role in restricting Afghanistan A. His spell effectively ended the opposition’s hopes of a successful chase.
Yash Thakur picked up two wickets during the innings. Anshul Kamboj, Anukul Roy and Vipraj Nigam also chipped in with one wicket each. Their collective effort ensured a comfortable win for India A.
The victory provides India A with a significant boost in the points table. It also improves the team’s chances of qualifying for the final of the Sri Lanka A Tri-Series. The result keeps their campaign firmly on track.
