The on-field altercation between Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sri Lanka A’s Vishen Halambage following India A’s Super Over defeat in Dambulla was not a spur-of-the-moment flare-up, according to a latest report, Halambage had been deliberately targeting the 15-year-old from the very first match of the Tri-Nation A Series.
The incident came to a head on June 15 after Sri Lanka A edged India A in a dramatic Super Over finish at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. With emotions already running high, Halambage reportedly told Sooryavanshi, “Match over… now you go home,” as the players walked off the field.
The remark immediately sparked a physical confrontation, with the two players seen shoving each other before senior players, including Sri Lanka A wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella and captain Sahan Arachchige, stepped in to separate them.
The revelation that this was part of a pattern of provocation, rather than a one-off comment, adds a more serious dimension to the incident. Sooryavanshi, who scored 14 off 12 balls in the match before being dismissed, had already been under pressure after India A’s second consecutive defeat in the series.
Sri Lanka A’s management is reported to have held an internal discussion with Halambage following the incident. An SLC official also told Cricbuzz that the Super Over itself “should never have been played in the first place” due to the fading light conditions at the time.
No official disciplinary action has been announced yet, with the tournament not falling under direct ICC jurisdiction.
