Rain threat looms over India A vs Afghanistan A matchup:Tilak, Sooryavanshi eye dominant comeback after heated SL A game

After losing back-to-back games to Afghanistan A and Sri Lanka A, India A will aim to regain its confidence with a win against Afghanistan A in Match 5 of the Tri-Nation Series in Dambulla. The previous game that Tilak Varma’s side played against the Afghans on the other end was marred by rain, losing the contest by 5 runs (DLS). However, the side will eye to bounce back, especially after a close and controversial loss against Sri Lanka A, where questionable decisions restricted India from claiming victory after the tie in a Super Over thriller. Team-wise, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will look to mark a dominating comeback as he has scored just 79 runs in three games. The runs might have hoarded at a strike rate of over 150, but the 15-year-old is yet to carry Men in Blue beyond the first powerplay. On the other hand, Indian bowlers have not been as consistent and sharp with the ball in comparison to bowlers from other teams. Despite Anukul Roy being among the top 5 bowlers in the series, India A have let the other side build partnerships without frequent wickets, which is a pain point for the visitors. Moreover, a slow run rate in the middle overs is also a concern, considering the start that Sooryavanshi-Prabhsimran have given the side in previous games. IND A vs AFG A Match Details: Match: India A vs Afghanistan A, Match 5, Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka Venue: Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla Date: 17 June, 2026 Time: 10:00 AM IST Where to watch: Sony Sports Network (TV), Sony Liv (live stream) Where to follow: Follow live updates from the match on Bhaskar English Ruturaj Gaikwad and Anukul Roy, top performers for India A With the bat, Ruturaj Gaikwad might have scored the most 204 runs in 3 matches. But the runs came at a strike rate of 86.44, which signifies that India A’s no.3 batter was not able to accelerate as the middle overs approached their end. Meanwhile, Anukul Roy has been the best bowler in this series, taking 4 wickets in 3 games at a strike rate of 4.68. Imran Mir best batter for AFG A, Farmanullah Safi most effective with ball Afghanistan skipper Imran Mir has been the team’s best hope with the bat, scoring 96 runs in 2 games in this Tri-Nation series. Meanwhile, Farmanullah Safi has got most success with the ball, scalping five wickets in 2 games. India A vs Afghanistan A head-to-head record Considering the record of the last three games, India A and Afghanistan A’s head-to-head record is dominated by the former side. The first two games were played in 2017 that India won. However, the third and only game played this year in the Tri-Nation series was won by Afghanistan by 5 runs through DLS. Dambulla Stadium pitch report The Dambulla pitch has alternatively been good for batting and bowling in the four matches played on the deck so far. Sri Lanka A’s bowlers have been able to make the best of Dambulla pitches, so there is a chance India A batters might get some relief if the rain does not affect the deck before or during the match. Dambulla weather report Rain is again expected to play the spoilsport in India A vs Afghanistan A match since there is 60% chance of precipitation in Dambulla tomorrow. The temperature is expected to hover between 26 degrees Celsius and 22 degrees Celsius.