India A all-rounder Vipraj Nigam had a frustrating day in Dambulla on Monday as his side battled Sri Lanka A in the Talent Tri-Series. The Delhi Capitals spinner found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after being penalised twice for running on the protected area of the pitch during a key phase of the innings. The costly lapse in concentration led to India A being docked 10 runs in total, with a five-run penalty handed out on each occasion.
The issue did not begin with Vipraj, however. Earlier in the innings, Anukul Roy, who was batting at No. 8, received an official warning for running on the protected area. Even though Roy was dismissed in the 33rd over, that warning stayed in force for the India A innings. That meant any further infringement by another batter from the same side would automatically attract a five-run penalty.
The first setback came in the 35th over when Vipraj was judged to have run on the protected area. The second and more avoidable incident followed just two overs later. Trying to work Sri Lanka A spinner Kugathas Mathulan towards short third man for a quick single, Vipraj set off immediately but ran straight down the middle of the wicket before being sent back by his batting partner Suryansh Shedge.
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The umpires were alert throughout and did not hesitate to enforce the laws of the game. At a time when India A were already under pressure after losing early wickets, the additional 10-run penalty only deepened their problems and made an already difficult batting effort even harder. Sri Lanka A, led by their disciplined spin attack and the impressive Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, kept a tight grip on the contest and never allowed the visitors to settle.
🚨 Crazy scenes in India A vs Sri Lanka A!
Sri Lanka started their chase at 10/0 without facing a ball 😳
Reason: Vipraj Nigam was penalized twice for running on the pitch’s danger area, gifting 10 runs.
India also got 5 penalty runs earlier after the ball hit Sri Lanka’s… pic.twitter.com/TGE4qTwVz0
— Kunal Bhanwala (@bhanwala_k38130) June 15, 2026
🚨 ZERO GAME AWARENESS BY VIPRAJ NIGAM AGAINST SRILANKA A 🚨
India-A have been penalised 10 runs.🤯
Vipraj Nigam keeps running down the danger zone, and it means that Sri Lanka will start at 10/0 when they come out to bat. pic.twitter.com/it78TLhSra
— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) June 15, 2026
Running on the protected area is taken seriously in cricket because the central strip is the most important part of the pitch. It is where the ball lands most often, and repeated footmarks can damage the surface, creating rough patches and cracks that may alter bounce, pace and turn as the match progresses. For that reason, batters are expected to run alongside the pitch rather than directly over it.
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In limited-overs cricket, if an umpire feels a batter has deliberately or carelessly run on the protected area, the player is first warned and the captain is informed. Any further offence by the same team can then lead to a five-run penalty for the opposition. Umpires usually show understanding when a batter’s momentum naturally carries them onto the strip, but avoidable violations are punished to protect the wicket and keep the contest fair.
