Afghanistan A secured a dramatic four-run victory over India A under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the Tri Nation A Series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Thursday, handing the Indian side its first defeat of the tournament.
The result was shaped by an outstanding unbeaten 108-run partnership between captain Imran Mir and Bahir Shah. Chasing a revised target of 294 in 38 overs, Afghanistan A reached 177/2 in 25.5 overs before heavy rain forced play to be abandoned. At that stage, they were four runs ahead of the required DLS score.
Mir led from the front with a composed 75, striking six boundaries and two sixes, while Shah remained unbeaten on 51. Their partnership ensured Afghanistan stayed ahead of the required rate despite the pressure of a challenging chase.
The foundation was laid by opener Hassan Eisakhil, who contributed 34 runs and shared a solid opening stand with Mir. However, India A briefly fought back when Arshad Khan dismissed Eisakhil at deep fine leg and Anukul Roy trapped Khalid Taniwal leg-before-wicket in quick succession.
With Afghanistan reduced to 69/2, Mir and Shah took charge. The pair combined sensible strike rotation with timely boundaries, steadily closing the gap on the target and keeping their side above par throughout the chase. Their efforts ultimately proved decisive when rain ended the contest.
Earlier, India A posted a formidable 349/9 from 49 overs after rain interruptions reduced their innings by one over. The innings began in explosive fashion thanks to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who smashed 44 from just 22 balls. The youngster struck nine fours and once again showcased his fearless approach at the top of the order.
Opening partner Prabhsimran Singh anchored the innings with a fluent 84 off 69 deliveries, emerging as India’s highest scorer. After the top-order breakthroughs, vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and captain Tilak Varma maintained momentum with identical scores of 66, continuing the strong form they displayed in the previous match.
Late contributions from Suryansh Shedge, who blasted 40 off 27 balls, and Anukul Roy’s quick 16 off eight deliveries helped India push close to the 350-run mark.
Afghanistan pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai was the standout bowler, claiming five wickets. His victims included Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, Tilak Varma, Shedge and Arshad Khan.
Despite posting a daunting total, India A were unable to capitalize as Afghanistan’s middle-order resilience and the intervention of rain combined to produce a memorable victory for the Afghan side in Dambulla.
