Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in focus as India A take on Sri Lanka A in the final of the much-hyped Tri-Nation A Series in Dambulla on Sunday. Rarely has an ‘A’ series received so much attention. If the Sooryavanshi factor was not enough, the ill-tempered match between the two teams in their previous round-robin encounter got the cricketing world talking. Sooryavanshi got involved in an on-field altercation with Sri Lanka’s Vishen Halambage at the end of the match. Both players have reportedly been recommended for sanctions.
The final will be the first time the two sides face each other again after India’s ill-tempered Super Over defeat in their previous meeting. Hours before the match, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi issued an unmissable warning on his Instagram profile, which is followed by Rajasthan Royals, Yuzvendra Chahal and others. He posted a number – 100 – along with the famous title track from the movie ‘Dangal’.
It’s clear that he is backing himself to score a century in the final on Sunday. Sooryavanshi has scored 14, 44, 21 and 38 in his four innings in the series so far.
Tempers had flared after Sri Lanka A edged India A in a Super Over in their last league game in Dambulla.
After the game was tied at the end of 50 overs, Sri Lanka A scored 16 in the Super Over and then restricted India A to nine, with rookie pacer Kugathas Mathulan, a slinger in the mould of Matheesha Pathirana, keeping Sooryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge quiet.
The tension spilled over after the match ended. Halambage and Wanuja Sahan were seen exchanging words with the departing Indian batters, with visuals showing Shedge pointing his bat towards Halambage before Sooryavanshi turned back and got into a heated exchange with the Sri Lankan player.
The two were then seen shoving each other before wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella stepped in to separate them, in ugly scenes rarely witnessed in an A-team match.
It remains to be seen whether both teams have moved on from that episode, but the focus will firmly be on Sooryavanshi, both for his temperament and his batting on Dambulla’s slow surfaces.
The 15-year-old, who was recently named in India’s senior squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, has already enjoyed a breakthrough IPL season.
He had a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign, smashing 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering strike rate of 237.31, including 72 sixes.
Coming to Sri Lanka after riding the IPL high and earning a maiden India call-up, Sooryavanshi has found the slow pitches in Dambulla a bigger test, with the conditions curbing his natural strokeplay.
He looked scratchy in India’s must-win game against Afghanistan A in his last outing, surviving a few anxious moments before making 38, and the onus will be on him to bounce back in style.
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