A capacity crowd at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium witnessed another electrifying cameo from India’s teenage phenomenon Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on June 11 but also the frustration of watching him fall just six runs short of what would have been a landmark maiden fifty for India A. The 15-year-old lit up the tri-series clash against Afghanistan A with nine boundaries in a breathtaking 22-ball 44, before Afghan pacer Abdullah Ahmadzai brought the innings to an abrupt and slightly unfortunate end.

Sooryavanshi Blazes Out of the Blocks

Afghanistan A skipper Imran Mir won the toss and elected to bowl first in Dambulla, but Sooryavanshi gave the decision an immediate answer. Facing Mohammad Ibrahim in the opening over, the teenager announced his intentions by crashing two boundaries off consecutive deliveries, setting the tone for what was to follow.

Operating with exceptional clarity in the powerplay, Sooryavanshi picked gaps with the precision of a seasoned campaigner rather than a 15-year-old on his second India A appearance. Alongside opening partner Prabhsimran Singh, the boundaries flowed consistently as the pair put on a rapid partnership, propelling India A to a commanding 74 for no loss inside seven overs.

The partnership came to an end in unfortunate fashion on the very first delivery of the eighth over. Sooryavanshi attempted to work the ball backward of square on the back foot but found only the edge of his bat, with the ball flying through to wicketkeeper Ishaq Rahimi. Ahmadzai, bowling from around the wicket with a short delivery angling sharply into the batter, had cramped Sooryavanshi for room leaving him with no scoring option and producing what was ultimately a soft dismissal given the quality of the innings that preceded it.

Shortly after Sooryavanshi’s departure, Priyansh Arya also fell cheaply to the same Ahmadzai, departing for a single-digit score in the tenth over after miscuing a cut shot straight to point fielder Bahir Shah.

The Search for a Defining Knock Continues

While Sooryavanshi’s 44 off 22 balls at a strike rate of 200 was genuinely thrilling to watch, the teenager will be aware that converting these explosive starts into match-winning innings is the next step in his development at this level.

In the tri-series opener against Sri Lanka A, he had fallen for a 12-ball 14 to pacer Mohamed Shiraz, caught at mid-off by Sahan Arachchige. Two promising starts in two games — but the maiden fifty remains elusive.

Sooryavanshi’s presence in this tri-series follows a record-shattering IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, which not only helped guide the franchise to the final but also earned him his first senior India T20I call-up for the upcoming series against Ireland and England. The India A assignments in Dambulla serve as his final preparation ground before what promises to be a landmark senior debut.

Playing XIs

India A: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma (c), Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Arshad Khan, Vipraj Nigam, Anukul Roy, Anshul Kamboj

Afghanistan A: Imran Mir (c), Hassan Eisakhil, Khalid Taniwal, Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai, Bahir Shah, Ishaq Rahimi (wk), Khalil Gurbaz, Zahir Khan, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Mohammad Ibrahim, Farmanullah Safi