A final is supposed to be a contest. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had other ideas.

The 15-year-old’s record-shattering 29-ball 94 laid the foundation for India-A’s imposing 377 for 9 before the visitors thrashed Sri Lanka-A by 66 runs to lift the Tri-Nation title at the Rangiri International Stadium on Sunday.

A sizeable crowd had turned up hoping the home side would make the most of familiar conditions. Instead, it witnessed one of the most explosive starts in List A cricket.

Sooryavanshi’s first five deliveries disappeared to the boundary — three fours and two sixes. Eleven balls into his innings, he had already raced to a fifty, the fastest in List A cricket. With the Sri Lankan bowlers repeatedly missing their lengths, the teenager punished anything in his arc, scarcely allowing a dot ball to interrupt the carnage.

At the other end, Priyansh Arya made the most of an early reprieve and played the ideal supporting role. As Sooryavanshi dominated the strike, India-A surged to 100 in just 6.3 overs, every audacious stroke drawing louder cheers from the crowd.

For a while, the fastest List A hundred looked inevitable. Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk’s record was under serious threat before Sri Lanka-A captain Sahan Arachige brought himself on and finally broke the spell, inducing a miscued hit that was held at mid-off.

By then, however, the damage had been done.

After both openers fell in quick succession, the innings needed rebuilding. Ruturaj Gaikwad and captain Tilak Varma provided exactly that, stitching together an 84-run stand for the third wicket. The partnership lacked the fireworks of the opening burst, but it ensured India-A retained complete control of the contest.

Gaikwad’s dismissal brought Kumar Kushagra to the crease, and he combined with Tilak in another half-century partnership to keep the scoreboard moving. Tilak’s well-compiled 67 anchored the middle overs, though three quick wickets briefly threatened to halt India’s march towards a daunting total.

Late cameos from Vipraj Nigam (27 off 20) and Anukul Roy, whose unbeaten 39 came off just 15 deliveries, supplied the finishing flourish. By the end of the innings, India-A had piled up the highest total of the tournament and a score that always looked beyond Sri Lanka-A’s reach.

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Sri Lanka-A’s resistance, however, did not fade easily.

Ashok Sharma, replacing Anshul Kamboj, impressed with his pace, while Yash Thakur’s three wickets kept Sri Lanka-A on the back foot. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Arachchige revived the chase with a 53-run stand before Ashok struck. Wanuja Sahan and Vijayakanth Viyaskanth added 77 for the eighth wicket, but Vipraj Nigam’s three wickets ensured India-A remained firmly in command.

The day, though, belonged to Sooryavanshi.

After a largely quiet tournament by his lofty standards, the teenager saved his best for the final and turned the title clash into a spectacle.

Published on Jun 21, 2026