Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another jaw-dropping performance as India A clinched the Tri-Series title with a commanding 66-run victory over Sri Lanka A in the final at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday.
The 15-year-old opener smashed a sensational 94 off just 29 balls, setting the tone for India’s imposing total of 377/9 before the bowlers completed the job by dismissing Sri Lanka A for 311 in 47.1 overs.
Chasing 378, Sri Lanka A never quite recovered after slipping to 75/3 in the opening stages. Sadeera Samarawickrama tried to anchor the innings with a fighting 52, while skipper Sahan Arachchige contributed 38 during a 53-run fourth-wicket partnership. However, India A’s bowlers struck regularly to keep the hosts under pressure.
Sri Lanka’s hopes faded further when they slumped to 177/6, but Vanuja Sahan launched a spirited counterattack. The all-rounder scored 62 and shared a 77-run stand with Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (39) for the seventh wicket, briefly threatening a comeback. Yet the required run rate continued to climb, and India A maintained control throughout the chase.
Yash Thakur and Vipraj Nigam starred with the ball, claiming three wickets apiece, while Anukul Roy picked up two. Ashok Sharma and captain Tilak Varma chipped in with a wicket each as India A sealed the title in convincing fashion.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, India A produced a batting masterclass led by the explosive Sooryavanshi.
The left-hander rewrote the record books by racing to a half-century in just 11 balls — the fastest fifty ever recorded in List A cricket. He hammered 10 fours and eight sixes during his breathtaking knock before falling agonisingly short of a century.
Alongside Priyansh Arya, Sooryavanshi gave India A a dream start, with the opening pair adding 132 runs in just 53 deliveries. Arya chipped in with a quickfire 39 as Sri Lanka’s bowlers struggled to contain the onslaught.
After the explosive opening stand, captain Tilak Varma anchored the innings with a composed 67 off 90 balls. He stitched together an 84-run partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad (40) before adding another 63 runs alongside Kumar Kushagra (36), ensuring India maintained momentum through the middle overs.
Late contributions from Nishant Sindhu (16), Vipraj Nigam (27) and Anukul Roy (39) provided the finishing flourish as India A surged to 377/9.
For Sri Lanka A, Vanuja Sahan, Ravindu Fernando and Kugathas Mathulan claimed two wickets each, but the attack had no answer to India’s relentless batting display.
Brief Scores: India A 377/9 in 50 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 94 off 29, Tilak Varma 67, Ruturaj Gaikwad 40; Vanuja Sahan 2/39, Ravindu Fernando 2/72) beat Sri Lanka A 311 all out in 47.1 overs (Vanuja Sahan 62, Sadeera Samarawickrama 52; Yash Thakur 3/45, Vipraj Nigam 3/60) by 66 runs.