Avishka Fernando made a fine hundred.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: X@OFFICIALSLC
The last time Sri Lanka-A and India-A met in the tri-nation tournament, tempers flared, emotions spilled over and the result was settled only after a dramatic Super Over.
But with Sunday’s final looming, Sri Lanka-A captain Sahan Arachchige wants his side to focus on the trophy.
The home team rode on Avishka Fernando’s century and Dulaj Samuditha’s five-wicket haul to outplay Afghanistan-A by 103 runs on Friday and booked a place in the summit clash.
Arachchige insisted there would be no extra motivation stemming from the heated clash against India-A .
“The boys are doing very well and we’re looking forward to having a great match in the final,” Arachchige told The Hindu on Friday.
The skipper believes his team is peaking at the right time. The top-order has laid solid foundations, the middle-order has chipped in when needed, and the bowlers have delivered consistently throughout the tournament.
“With the batting, there is no issue. The boys are doing very well. And with the bowling, every fast pacer and spinner is doing very well. I think we are in good shape,” he said.
Given the backdrop of the Super Over game, where a few Sri Lankan players exchanged words with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge, the final is expected to carry extra spice. Arachchige, however, played down any suggestion of lingering tension.
“We are not targeting anyone or anything. We are just enjoying themselves,” he said. “In a close game like a Super Over, emotions come out. That’s normal.”
“There are a lot of experienced players in this team. They know what to do and they know how to play.”
For Arachchige, the message before the final is simple: “Keep playing the cricket that brought us this far and enjoy the opportunity to represent the country”.
The scores: Sri Lanka-A 322/8 in 50 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 66, Fernando 110, Nuwanidu Fernando 45, Faridoon Dawoodzai 4/60) bt Afghanistan-A 219 in 42.5 overs (Hassan Eishakhil 74, Farmanullah 43, Dulaj Samuditha 5/25).
Toss: Afghanistan-A; PoM: Fernando.
Published – June 19, 2026 07:22 pm IST
