New Delhi: Vaibhav Suryavanshi once again flashed his extraordinary talent before falling short of a big score as India A reached 161/2 in 20 overs against Afghanistan A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka on Thursday.The 15-year-old batting sensation lit up the opening phase of the innings with 44 off just 22 balls, hitting nine fours and scoring at an impressive strike rate of 200.After Afghanistan A captain Imran Mir won the toss and decided to bowl, Suryavanshi wasted no time in attacking the opposition. He went off the boundary mark on his very first ball and never looked back as Afghanistan’s seamers let nothing loose.Young’s aggressive style took India A to 50 for no loss in just five overs. He repeatedly found space through the offside, while also showing his ability to dominate short pitch bowling. His partnership of 74 runs with Prabhasmaran Singh laid a strong foundation for the innings.At one stage a half-century looked inevitable. However, Abdullah Ahmadzai provided the breakthrough for Afghanistan A in the eighth over. Attempting an improvised ramp shot against a short delivery, Suryavanshi could only edge the ball behind wicketkeeper Ishaq Rahimi.The dismissal clearly disappointed the youngster as he walked back after entertaining the crowd with a whirlwind knock that lasted just 22 balls but swung the momentum firmly in India’s favour.While Suryavanshi grabbed the early headlines, Prabhasmaran ensured India A maintained control of the innings. The wicketkeeper-opener led the batting effort with an unbeaten 82 off 65 balls, hitting 14 fours and rotating the strike effectively in the middle overs.Priyansh Arya made a brief contribution of 8 runs before Ahmedzai became the second wicket, while Rituraj Gaikwad made an unbeaten 23 off 28 balls.Afghanistan AK’s bowlers managed to reduce the scoring rate after the powerplay, with Khalil Garbaz proving particularly economical. However, Suryavanshi’s explosive start had already given India the platform they needed, with fans once again wondering what could have been had the youngster stayed at the crease a little longer.
