The eagerly awaited white ball summer kicked off with a classic thriller India-A secured a breathless 8 run victory over Sri Lanka-A in the opening match Three series in one day On 09 June 2026 at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. A masterclass century in a game that swings like a pendulum under the Dambulla sky Ruturaj Gaikwad Gold proved to be the systemic difference that helped India-A successfully defend their total in a high-octane finish.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s combative tone takes India-A to a huge result
After being put into bat, India-A endured a disastrous start and found themselves in deep trouble at 16/2 in the first five overs. Openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (14) and Prabhsimran Singh (21) fell back to back Mohammad Shiraz and Chamika Karunaratne respectively. Priyansh Arya He showed brief sparks with 32 off 32 balls, including 4 fours and a six, a costly run cut short his innings at 69/3.
Undeterred by a crumbling top order, Gaikwad anchored the match with a brilliant, calculated Player performance. Gaikwad played the cog to perfection, smashing 101 off 114 deliveries, punctuated by 6 elegant fours and 3 powerful sixes. He found an able partner in the captain Tilak VarmaA mature, patient batsman on 60 off 97 balls. Together, the duo put on a massive partnership of 150 runs for the fourth wicket and completely swung the momentum back to the visitors.
After Gaikwad’s departure in 44 AD Vanuc Sahan (1/35), Ayush Badoni (24 off 18) and a late explosive cameo Suryansh Shedge (26* off 14 balls) ensured India-A maximized their overs. Despite Saha’s disciplined economic magic and two wickets from Shiraz (2/67), India-A completed their quota of 50 overs with a mammoth 277/6.
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India-A got the better of Sri Lanka-A in the first match of the ODI Tri Series
Chasing a difficult target of 278, Sri Lanka-A launched a fierce counter-attack. Openers Niroshan Dikwela (47 off 45) and Avishka Fernando (45 off 59) commandingly attacked the Indian bowlers, setting up a commanding 93-run opening stand. However, part-time spinner Badoni turned the game upside down by dropping both dangerous openers in quick succession, triggering a mini-collapse that saw the hosts slip to 109/3.
Sadeera Samarawickrama He kept the chase alive with 46, but was captain Sahan Arachchige almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Arachchige played the captain’s knock, hitting 74 off 72 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes. As Sri Lanka-A look poised to break the line, the Indian bowling unit is led by a star-studded rotation. Anukul Roy (2/49) and Vipraj Nigam (2/46), broke at crucial moments.
The match reached its climax. With an open tail, Arshad Khan He produced a deadly final spell, clearing the bottom order to finish with 2/24. Sri Lanka-A lost the last four wickets for just 7 runs, bundled out for 269 in 48.5 overs. India-A opened their Tri-Series campaign in style, holding their nerve to seal an incredible 8-run win.
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6 fours and 3 sixesVice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was adjudged player of the match for his magnificent century 👏🫡
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(Player photo Credit: Sri Lanka Cricket). pic.twitter.com/pwSdE4zp5W
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2026
