Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a stunning display of powerful hitting to lead India A to a convincing 66-run win over Sri Lanka A in the tri-series final on Sunday.The teenage sensation smashed 94 off just 29 deliveries, producing one of the most devastating innings seen in List A cricket. His explosive knock helped India A pile up 377 for nine before restricting Sri Lanka A to 311 in reply.While the pacer Yash Thakur returned figures of 3/45 with spinner Vipraj Nigam claiming 3/60, the contest was largely shaped by Sooryavanshi’s formidable attack at the top of the order.Sri Lanka A faced a daunting chase right from the start and needed both a strong start and sustainable partnerships to stay in contention. Instead, their innings stumbled early as Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando and Nuwanidu Fernando were dismissed with just 75 runs on the board inside the first 10 overs.The hosts tried to recover through a fourth wicket stand of 53 runs between Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made 52, and captain Sahan Arachchige, who contributed 38. Later, Wanuj Sahan scored 62 and shared a 77-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Vijayakant Viyaskanth (39).However, those efforts were never enough against a target that demanded relentless scoring at more than eight runs per over. Sri Lanka A eventually crossed the 300-run mark but never seriously threatened India’s total.Earlier, India A’s innings was dominated by Sooryavanshi, who bounced back from a relatively quiet tournament in spectacular fashion after being asked to bat first.The 15-year-old from Samastipur in Bihar went with the intent to attack and immediately put the Sri Lankan bowlers under immense pressure. He rewrote the record books by reaching his half-century in just 11 balls, surpassing the previous List A record set by Sri Lanka’s Kaushalya Weeraratne, who took 12 deliveries to bring up his fifty in 2005.His first 11 hits resulted in an incredible 50 runs. The sequence read 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 0, 6, 4, 4, 6, 6 as he hit the bowling attack right from the start. The turning point came with consecutive sixes straight down the ground from pacer Dulay Samuditha.Sooryavanshi mixed brute force with excellent timing during his stay. He initially targeted the leg side against the seamers and later extended his range to the side after Sri Lanka adjusted their fielding positions. Even well-executed deliveries disappeared into the stands as he continued his onslaught.Among the highlights of the innings were his high runs over extra cover. Three effortless sixes in that region highlighted the exceptional bat speed, poise and confidence that quickly established him as one of India’s most exciting young players.Along with Priyansh Arya, who scored 39, Sooryavanshi made 132 runs for the opening wicket and appeared on track to register the fastest century in List A cricket.The fireworks finally ended in the ninth over when spinner Sahan Arachchige induced a catch at mid-on. Arya left after that, giving Sri Lanka a glimmer of hope.Ruturaj Gaikwad he then made 40 and added 63 runs alongside captain Tilak Varma for the third wicket. Tilak anchored the innings with a measured 67 off 90 balls as the strike rate dipped briefly.India A lost wickets at regular intervals as they tried to build momentum towards the end, but caught up late Anukul Roywho hit 39 off 15 balls, and Vipraj Nigam, who hit 27 off 20 deliveries, ensured that the total rose past 350.In the end though, the final went to Sooryavanshi, whose outstanding innings set the platform for a comprehensive triumph and another reminder of his immense potential.
