Afghanistan A secured a dramatic four-run victory over India A via the DLS method in a rain-affected 'A' Teams Tri-series match on Thursday. India A's imposing total of 349 proved insufficient as Afghanistan A's strong batting performance, particularly a crucial partnership, put them ahead of the revised target when play was halted.

Skipper Imran Mir and Bahir Shah were instrumental in the chase, forging an unbeaten 108-run century partnership for the third wicket. Their composed knocks propelled Afghanistan A past the DLS par score before persistent rain forced the abandonment, handing them a significant win in Dambulla.

Earlier in the match, India A, after being sent in to bat, made an assertive start. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set the tone with a rapid 44 runs off just 22 balls. Prabhsimran Singh then continued the momentum, top-scoring for India A with a fluent 84.

Despite an early wicket, captain Tilak Varma (66) and vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (66) consolidated the innings. They built a steady 78-run stand, effectively keeping the Afghanistan bowlers at bay during the middle overs. In the death overs, Suryansh Shedge injected urgency with a quickfire 40 off 27 balls. Handy contributions from Anukul Roy and Vipraj Nigam pushed India A to a formidable 349 for nine in their revised 49 overs. Afghanistan A's Abdullah Ahmadzai was the standout bowler, claiming an impressive five wickets for 68 runs, preventing India A from reaching an even higher score.

Chasing a revised target of 294 from 38 overs due to multiple rain interruptions, Afghanistan A began aggressively. Hassan Eisakhil contributed 34 runs, forming a brisk 63-run opening stand with Imran Mir. Although Arshad Khan and Anukul Roy managed to dismiss Eisakhil and Khalid Taniwal, India A struggled to maintain sustained pressure on the new batsmen.

Mir anchored the innings with a composed 75 not out off 69 balls, while Shah counterattacked effectively, reaching 51 not out. Their partnership proved decisive, pushing Afghanistan A to 173 for two in 25.5 overs. With the DLS method in play, this score placed them ahead of the required run rate. When the rain returned and ultimately forced the match's abandonment, Afghanistan A was declared the winner by four runs. This victory marks a strong start for Afghanistan A in the 'A' Teams Tri-series, demonstrating their capability to perform under pressure and adapt to challenging conditions.