- By Sunny Daud
- Tue, 09 Jun 2026 07:07 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India A survived a late scare to beat Sri Lanka A by eight runs in the opening match of the tri-series on Tuesday, despite a quiet outing from teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The young batter, who was making his India A debut in one-day cricket, scored 14 runs before being dismissed. While his stay at the crease was brief, India A had enough contributions from the middle order to post a competitive total and eventually secure victory.
After being asked to bat first, India A found themselves under pressure early. Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh were both dismissed inside the first five overs, leaving the side struggling at 16 for two.
Ruturaj Gaikwad then stepped up with a captain’s knock. The experienced batter played a patient innings and scored 101 runs, anchoring the innings when India needed stability. He shared an important partnership of 150 runs with skipper Tilak Varma, who contributed 60.
The conditions were not easy for batting, with strong winds and assistance for the bowlers from the surface. However, Gaikwad and Tilak showed plenty of composure to rebuild the innings after the early setbacks.
Gaikwad reached his century in 112 balls before falling shortly after. Tilak also departed soon after his half-century, but late contributions from Ayush Badoni and Suryansh Shedge helped India A finish on 277 for six.
There was plenty of attention on Sooryavanshi’s first appearance for India A. The youngster looked comfortable during his short stay and struck three boundaries. However, an ambitious shot ended his innings earlier than he would have liked.
Sri Lanka A began the chase strongly. Niroshan Dickwella scored 47, while Avishka Fernando added 45 as the opening pair put together 93 runs.
The visitors looked in control for most of the chase, thanks largely to captain Sahan Arachchige. He played a superb knock of 74 from 72 balls and guided his team close to the target.
However, the match turned dramatically in the final stages. With victory within reach, Sri Lanka A lost wickets at crucial moments and failed to finish the job. Anshul Kamboj removed Arachchige with a yorker, while Arshad Khan picked up three wickets in the final over to seal the win.
India A’s spinners also played a key role. Ayush Badoni and Anukul Roy claimed two wickets each and helped slow down the scoring rate in the middle overs.
In the end, Sri Lanka A’s late collapse handed India A an unlikely victory in a match that seemed to be slipping away.
India A will now take on Afghanistan A on June 11 as they look to build on their winning start to the tri-series.
Brief Scores:
India A: 277/6 in 50 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 101, Tilak Varma 60; Mohamed Shiraz 2/67). Sri Lanka A 269 all out in 48.5 overs (Sahan Arachchige 74; Arshad Khan 2/24, Ayush Badoni 2/46).