Fire and ice: Temper trial awaits Tilak Varma’s India A in tri-series final
“Sir, this is not ice and fire, this is fire and fire,” Sanju Samson joked about his opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma after India’s T20 World Cup glory. This spirit seems to have crossed over to the junior Indian team as well.
India A will take on Sri Lanka A in the final of the tri-series to be played in Dambulla on Sunday, June 21. From staring at an early exit from the tournament to becoming the first team to qualify for the finals, it has been quite a week for the Indian side.
In their first match of the tournament, India A managed a narrow escape against hosts Sri Lanka A. In the second match, they were beaten by Afghanistan A in a rain-fought battle. Then, in their third match against Sri Lanka A, Tilak’s team lost an ill-tempered Super Over to the hosts.
Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi were involved in separate controversies, which put a stain on the team’s tour.
Just when their chances of qualifying looked really, really slim, India A produced a stunning performance against Afghanistan A in their final match of the round. The victory was so emphatic that, on the brink of elimination, India A became the first team to qualify for the finals, leaving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to battle it out for the remaining spot.
If that’s not fire and fire, I don’t know what is.
TILAK VARMA CAPT
If there is one cricketer who has learned the most from this series, it is Tilak Varma. After a narrow win against Sri Lanka, a thrashing at the hands of Afghanistan and then an ill-tempered loss to Sri Lanka, Tilak had to grow up quickly in a short space of time.
“As a captain, the biggest learning for me has been to understand each player – how they react under pressure, what their mindset is and how to get the best out of them. I spend a lot of time with the players off the field because it helps me understand them better,” Tilak Varma told Sportstar.
“I have seen Rohit bhai do it with Mumbai Indians and with the Indian team. I know how important these relationships become when you are in the middle. I have tried to implement some of these things here and so far it is working well,” he added.
Varma will be crucial to India’s chances in the finals – both as captain and as a batsman. With the willow, he provided stability in the middle overs, a phase that proved tricky for all teams in the competition.
WILL WE GET THE VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI SHOW?
The prodigiously talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is yet to set the tri-series on fire.
He looked in good touch whenever he came out to bat. But despite his starts, he is yet to convert them into substantial scores.
The Sri Lankans seem to have found a way to trap him with off-spin, and that’s a ploy everyone will probably be watching really closely. If Vaibhav has this shortcoming, other teams will surely try to exploit him in the near future.
The India A captain said that a string of average scores was not a problem and that the team did not feel that Vaibhav needed to play his cricket differently. The youngster has the support of the captain and is unlikely to change his style.
SRI LANKA AND BRING THE NAILS TO FIGHT
One thing that may need to be said about Sri Lanka A is that this side has some senior players in its ranks.
Openers Aishka Fernando and Niroshan Dickwella are seasoned professionals in international cricket, as is Sadeera Samarawickrama.
The kind of confrontation that broke out in the teams’ previous game was to be dealt with by the senior members on the field every now and then.
One wonders if this is how Sri Lanka will again approach Sunday’s final. If they did, things could get ugly very quickly.
And that will be the real test of India A, especially their captain Tilak Varma – whether he can mix his fire with his ice and sustain his team and the game.
DOES INDIA HAVE ANY WEAKNESSES?
India A’s bowling was a cause for concern till the last match.
Sri Lanka A’s top order dominated India’s pace attack in both matches. But the team made a strong comeback with the ball in their last round against Afghanistan, which is essentially the growth that Tilak talked about before the final.
India’s spinners are expected to do well, but fast bowling remains an issue.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA A LIVESTREAMING
The India A vs Sri Lanka A match will start at 10:00 AM IST. The draw will take place at 9:30 a.m.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA A PITCH REPORT
The pitch was spin-friendly during the tournament and is expected to help the slower bowlers again in the final.
However, what could make a real difference is the wind that can bring swing into play.
A strong wind is expected at the time of the match. Rain is unlikely.
INDIA A vs SRI LANKA PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
India A Predicted Playing XIs: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma (c), Ayush Badoni, Suryansh Shedge, Nishant Sindhu, Anukul Roy, Arshad Khan, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur.
Sri Lanka predicted playing XI: Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Avishka Fernando, Vishen Halambage, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ahan Wickramasinghe, Sahan Arachchige (c), Wanuja Sahan, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Kugathas Mathulan, Chamika Gunasekara
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
21 Jun 2026 04:38 IST