Sri Lanka A drew first blood in the must-win clash, removing both Indian openers cheaply as India A reached 85/2 in the 15th over of the fourth match of the ongoing one-day tri-series at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Monday.

The 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell for 21 off just 13 balls, while Prabhsimran Singh managed only 11 before Sri Lanka A’s pacers and fielders struck early. Captain Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad then steadied the innings with a growing partnership as India A looked to rebuild.

Early Promise Fades Quickly

The Indian openers began aggressively. Sooryavanshi, who has been in sublime touch this season after a stellar IPL 2026 campaign, slammed two fours and a six in the second over, racing India A to 17/0. However, the momentum shifted in the fourth over when Sahan Arachchige’s captaincy and a sharp catch by Wanuja Sahan sent the young batter back to the pavilion at 30/1.

Prabhsimran Singh tried to keep the scoring rate up, smashing a boundary soon after, but Mohamed Shiraz claimed his wicket in the seventh over, leaving India A at 39/2. The early breakthroughs handed Sri Lanka A the upper hand in the powerplay.

Middle-Order Stabilises

By the 10th over, India A were 57/2. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma then took control, mixing caution with calculated aggression. Gaikwad found the boundary ropes regularly, and the pair crossed the 50-run partnership mark as the scoreboard ticked past 85 by the 15th over, just before the drinks break.

A dropped catch of Gaikwad earlier offered India A some breathing space, exposing occasional sloppiness in the Sri Lankan fielding.

Team Changes and Context

India A made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Yash Thakur in place of Anshul Kamboj and including Nishant Sindhu. Tilak Varma had earlier indicated that a total around 300 would be defendable on this surface.

The pitch at Rangiri Dambulla has offered assistance to bowlers, with batting expected to become tougher as the innings progresses. Spinners could play a bigger role in the middle overs. Weather concerns lingered too, with a 55% chance of rain, following previous matches decided by the DLS method.

Series Situation

All three teams—India A, Sri Lanka A, and Afghanistan A—are level on two points each after one win and one loss apiece. Sri Lanka A top the table on net run rate, followed by India A. A strong performance today is crucial for India A to stay in contention for the final scheduled on June 21.

Sooryavanshi’s lean patch in this series continues, with this being his third consecutive match without a half-century despite his explosive reputation. Gaikwad, on the other hand, has been the standout for India A, amassing 167 runs including a century. Arshad Khan leads the bowling charts for the side with three wickets.

Sri Lanka A will look to capitalise on their strong start, led by performers like Avishka Fernando with the bat and Chamika Gunasekara with the ball.

As the match progresses into the middle overs, all eyes will be on whether Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad can push India A towards a competitive total or if Sri Lanka A’s bowlers can continue to chip away at the batting order on a tricky Dambulla surface.