Priyansh Arya, Kumar Kushagra & Tilak Varma Star as India A Beat Afghanistan A by 101 Runs, Enter Tri-Series Final

India A has defeated Afghanistan A by 101 runs in Dambulla on Wednesday to reach the final of the One-day tri-series. India A made 319 for nine, then bowled Afghanistan A out for 218 in 36.5 overs. The win ended India A’s two-match losing run and took them top of the table.

India A now have four points and the best Net Run Rate of 0.597. Sri Lanka A also have four points but sit second with 0.494. Afghanistan A are last with two points and a Net Run Rate of -1.602. They face Sri Lanka A on Friday and need a big win to move ahead.

Tilak Varma, Priyansh Arya and Kumar Kushagra all hit fifties for India A. Varma made 59, while Arya and Kushagra scored 58 each. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 38, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 30, and Vipraj Nigam made 30 off 20 balls to lift India past 300.

Afghanistan A were led by Bahir Shah, who scored 57 off 52 balls with four fours and one six, and Faisal Shinozada, who made 46. Nishant Sindhu took 4/31 in 6.5 overs, while Yash Thakur claimed 2/48 from seven overs. Anshul Kamboj, Vipraj Nigam, Suryansh Shedge and Anukul Roy took one wicket each.

India A Innings

Afghanistan A chose to bowl on a sluggish Dambulla pitch. Sooryavanshi and Arya gave India A a 75-run start in eight overs. Sooryavanshi made his 38 with cover drives and sixes before falling while trying to pull a bouncer from Faridoon Dawoodzai. Arya reached fifty in 29 balls before he was caught at point.

India’s scoring slowed after Arya’s dismissal as the pitch got slower. Gaikwad was out for 30, caught behind down the leg side off Abdollah Ahmadzai, who finished with 2/62. Varma reached his fifty in 67 balls and Kushagra in 60 balls, adding 104 for the fourth wicket before Afghanistan A lost control of the chase.

Afghanistan A Chase

Thakur struck early by removing Hassan Eisakhil for 14 in the third over. Kamboj dismissed Khalid Taniwal for 13 in the sixth over, and Sindhu got captain Imran Mir in the 10th. Shinozada and Bahir then added 87 for the fourth wicket, but both fell soon after, and Afghanistan A folded for 218.