Sri Lanka A Clinches Tri-Series Trophy In Abu Dhabi With Dominant Performance

The Tri-Nation Series in Abu Dhabi has concluded with Sri Lanka A emerging as the champions after a remarkable unbeaten campaign. The tournament, which featured Afghanistan and Ireland, saw the Lankan Lions dominate throughout the competition, securing five consecutive victories en route to lifting the trophy.

The image shared by Abu Dhabi Sports Hub captures the jubilant Sri Lankan players celebrating their victory with the tournament trophy. The post congratulates Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) on their triumph while also acknowledging the performances of Cricket Ireland and the Afghanistan Cricket Board throughout the competition.

The final match of the series saw Sri Lanka A defeat the Ireland Wolves by 5 wickets in a convincing display of their all-round capabilities. The Sri Lankan bowlers set up the victory by restricting Ireland to 200 runs in their innings, with Tharindu Rathnayake and Milan Rathnayake delivering exceptional bowling performances.

Morgan Topping was the standout performer for Ireland, scoring 73 runs, but his efforts weren’t enough to post a competitive total against the in-form Sri Lankan side. After winning the toss and electing to bowl first, the Sri Lankan team executed their game plan perfectly.

Tournament Highlights And Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony of the Explore Afghanistan Tri-Nation Series 2025 celebrated Sri Lanka A’s perfect record of five victories. Snapshots from the ceremony showed the Sri Lankan players and staff receiving their well-deserved accolades after their consistent performances throughout the tournament.

The Afghanistan team, known as AfghanAbdalyan in this tournament, competed valiantly but couldn’t secure enough victories to challenge for the trophy. The Afghan players returned home after their participation, while some members of their four-day squad arrived in Abu Dhabi for an upcoming one-off four-day match against Sri Lanka A, scheduled to begin on April 29 at the Tolerance Oval.

In one of their final matches of the tournament, Afghanistan fell short against Sri Lanka A, losing by 4 wickets despite picking up six wickets and putting up a fight. Qais Ahmad was a standout performer for Afghanistan, claiming three wickets in that match.

Looking Ahead – Future Matches

With the tri-series now concluded, cricket action in Abu Dhabi will continue with the one-off four-day match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka A. This match represents an opportunity for Afghanistan to gain valuable experience in the longer format of the game against the tournament champions.

The Explore Afghanistan Tri-Nation Series 2025, powered by Super Cola, has been a successful tournament that provided valuable exposure and competition for emerging cricketers from all three participating nations.

For Afghanistan, whose national cricket team has made significant strides in international cricket over the past decade, these developmental tournaments are crucial for building depth and experience in their player pool. The Afghanistan national cricket team, which gained Full Member status of the International Cricket Council in 2017, continues to use these opportunities to strengthen their cricket program.

Sri Lanka A’s dominant performance throughout the tournament demonstrated their depth of talent and well-rounded team composition, suggesting bright prospects for Sri Lankan cricket’s future as these players develop toward potential international careers.

The tournament, hosted at Abu Dhabi Sports Hub under the tagline “Every Day Is Gameday,” has provided excellent cricket action while strengthening sporting ties between the participating nations.

Reporter

Vidya Tadapatri

 

Vidya did her post-graduation in Biotechnology from Osmania University, Hyderabad. Her interest in writing made her pursue a career in content, in which she now has over five years of experience. Vidya writes for MomJunction and covers news for Cricketsweep.

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