Dambulla: Young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again grabbed the spotlight with a breathtaking acrobatic catch during India A’s Tri-Nation Series clash against Afghanistan A at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Wednesday.
The 15-year-old showcased exceptional athleticism and sharp reflexes in the field, producing one of the catches of the tournament as India A registered a convincing 101-run victory to secure a place in the tri-series final.
The spectacular effort further highlighted why Sooryavanshi is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Indian cricket, adding another memorable moment to his rapidly growing reputation.
Spectacular effort dismisses Khalid Taniwal
The remarkable catch came in the sixth over of Afghanistan A’s innings when pacer Anshul Kamboj delivered a back-of-a-length ball to batter Khalid Taniwal.
Attempting to accelerate the scoring rate, Taniwal played an aggressive shot towards the leg side. The ball travelled quickly towards Sooryavanshi, who initially appeared to have completed a straightforward catch.
However, the youngster briefly lost control of the ball as it slipped from his grasp during the completion of the catch.
Displaying outstanding awareness, Sooryavanshi immediately reacted, turned around and launched himself into a full-length dive. Stretching out his right hand, he managed to grab the ball inches above the turf before it could touch the ground.
The stunning effort left teammates, spectators and commentators in awe as Taniwal was dismissed for 13 runs off 10 deliveries, an innings that included one four and one six.
The dismissal further dented Afghanistan A’s chase and helped India A tighten their grip on the contest.
Crowd erupts after athletic brilliance
The catch instantly became one of the defining moments of the match.
Players rushed towards Sooryavanshi to celebrate the dismissal, while the crowd at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium applauded the youngster’s exceptional fielding effort.
Such moments are often associated with experienced international cricketers, making the catch even more impressive considering Sooryavanshi’s age.
His athleticism and commitment in the field provided a significant boost to India A’s energy levels as they continued to dominate proceedings.
Fortune favours Sooryavanshi with the bat
Earlier in the day, Sooryavanshi had contributed a brisk 38 runs from 28 deliveries at the top of the order.
While the innings featured several eye-catching strokes, it was also aided by a series of fortunate escapes.
The young opener survived an early scare when a brilliant catch at point was reviewed and subsequently overturned by the third umpire after replays showed the ball had touched the ground during the completion of the catch.
Afghanistan A then missed two further opportunities to dismiss him.
A top-edged pull shot off Faridoon Dawoodzai was put down by the square-leg fielder, while another mistimed pull against Abdullah Ahmadzai landed safely after evading the retreating mid-on fielder.
Aggressive strokeplay sets the tone
Making full use of the reprieves, Sooryavanshi played with characteristic aggression and confidence.
The left-handed batter struck four boundaries and two sixes during his entertaining cameo, keeping the scoreboard moving at a brisk pace.
He was particularly severe on Dawoodzai, attacking the bowler with consecutive boundaries and a towering six that demonstrated his immense power and timing.
Despite surviving multiple chances, his innings eventually came to an end when he attempted another pull shot and miscued the ball towards cover-point, where Khalid Taniwal completed the catch.
Although he fell short of a half-century, his quickfire innings helped India A establish a strong platform during the powerplay.
India A post imposing total
India A capitalised on the aggressive start provided by Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya.
Arya continued the momentum with a rapid 58, while captain Tilak Varma steadied the innings with a composed 59.
Kumar Kushagra added another valuable half-century, scoring 58 runs, before Vipraj Nigam provided late acceleration with a quickfire 30.
Their collective efforts guided India A to an imposing total of 319 for 9 in 50 overs.
The score ultimately proved far beyond Afghanistan A’s reach.
Bowlers complete comprehensive victory
Afghanistan A struggled to keep pace with the required run rate and lost wickets at regular intervals.
Bahir Shah scored a fighting 57, while Faisal Shinozada contributed 46, but the middle-order resistance was not enough to threaten India’s total.
Spinner Nishant Sindhu emerged as the chief destroyer, claiming four wickets for 31 runs.
Anshul Kamboj, Yash Thakur, Suryansh Shedge, Anukul Roy and Vipraj Nigam also chipped in with important breakthroughs as Afghanistan A were bowled out for 218 in 36.5 overs.
The victory secured India A’s place in the final and lifted them to the top of the points table.
Young star continues impressive rise
Sooryavanshi’s performance once again underlined his immense potential.
While his innings of 38 provided an aggressive start, it was his spectacular catch that became the highlight of the contest.
The youngster has now scored 117 runs in four matches in the tournament at an average of 29.25 and an impressive strike rate of 153.94, with a highest score of 44.
His contributions with both bat and in the field continue to make him one of the most exciting young players to watch in Indian cricket.
Conclusion
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered another memorable performance for India A, combining aggressive batting with a stunning acrobatic catch that lit up the match against Afghanistan A. His brilliance helped India A secure a convincing victory and book a place in the tri-series final, further strengthening his reputation as one of the country’s most promising cricketing talents.
