New Delhi. India A suffered a disappointing defeat against Afghanistan A in the second match of the Tri Nation A Series 2026 played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Dambulla. The rain-affected match was decided using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) rule, with Afghanistan A declared winners by 4 runs.

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In Thursday’s match, India A, batting first, scored a huge score of 349 runs for 9 wickets in 49 overs. Indian batsmen adopted an aggressive attitude from the beginning and maintained pressure on the opposition bowlers. This score, which came close to 350 runs, was considered to be a strong foundation for India’s victory. However, Afghanistan A gave a brilliant reply in the run chase. The team had scored 177 runs after losing 2 wickets in just 25.5 overs. Meanwhile, rain came and the game could not be resumed.

When the match was stopped, Afghanistan A was 4 runs ahead of the target as per DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) calculation. Due to this the match was declared over and Afghanistan A was declared the winner. This result is a big blow for India A because despite making a huge score of 349 runs, the team could not register victory. On the other hand, Afghanistan A won the match on the basis of aggressive batting and better run rate.

Highlights of Afghanistan A team’s innings

Afghanistan A had an aggressive start after the target given by India A. Hasan Isaakhil gave the team a fast start by scoring 34 runs in 29 balls. His innings included 6 fours. However, he was out on the ball of Arshad Khan. After this, captain Imran Mir took charge and batted brilliantly and scored unbeaten 75 runs in 70 balls. He hit 6 fours and 2 sixes in his innings. From the other end, Bahir Shah also showed a great mix of composure and aggression. He scored 51 not out in 52 balls, which included 5 fours. Afghanistan A got the second blow in the form of Khalid Taniwal, who became the victim of Anukul Roy after scoring just 2 runs. After this, Imran Mir and Bahir Shah did not give any chance to India A. Both the batsmen made an unbroken partnership of 126 runs for the third wicket and turned the match completely towards Afghanistan.

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When play was stopped due to rain, Afghanistan A had scored 177 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in 25.5 overs. At that time the team’s run rate was 6.85 and according to DLS calculations, it was 4 runs ahead of the scheduled score. Play could not be resumed after rain and Afghanistan A was declared the winner. For India A, Arshad Khan and Ankul Roy got one wicket each. Arshad Khan took one wicket for 38 runs in 5 overs, while Anukul Roy took one wicket for 24 runs in 5 overs. At the same time, Afghanistan’s batsmen scored runs freely against other bowlers and turned the match in their favor.

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