The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has responded to the controversy surrounding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the teenager was involved in an on-field altercation with Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage during the Tri-Nation A Series in Dambulla. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has urged the India A players to stay focused on cricket and avoid getting pulled into off-field distractions at a time when the tournament offers a major pathway to the senior national team.

The incident took place after the India A vs Sri Lanka A match at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, July 15. The game ended in dramatic fashion, with both teams finishing on 265 runs before Sri Lanka A edged India A in the Super Over. The tense finish was followed by post-match scenes that quickly drew attention, especially after the exchange involving Sooryavanshi and Halambage went viral.

Saikia said the board does not want the young players to lose focus during such an important series. He stressed that the ongoing tri-nation event is a valuable platform for emerging cricketers to impress the selectors and push for senior India selection.

ALSO READ: Sairaj Bahutule Identifies Manav Suthar As Key Figure in India’s New Spin Era

“India A is playing a major tournament, all the upcoming players who can stake their claim for the Indian senior team, they are in the midst of a very big tournament, a tri-nation series, so they should concentrate on their game rather than getting distracted from any collateral issues,” Devajit Saikia told the Times of India.

He also made it clear that, during a live tournament, player management and disciplinary matters are primarily handled by the team staff, not by the board directly.

“It is not our duty to speak to the players for any reason. The players are only concentrated with their games and the support staff and the coaches who are present with them, nothing else,” Devajit Saikia said.

The BCCI secretary added that the board’s priority remains India A’s performance in the series and not the surrounding noise. According to him, the players must keep their attention on the cricketing task at hand rather than anything secondary.

Meanwhile, the match itself was marked by several disputed moments. A report in The Times of India claimed that the India A camp was unhappy with multiple officiating decisions, including a controversial caught-out call against Suryansh Shedge, whose bat had reportedly helped the ball carry to the boundary before the rope was touched. The report also suggested that the Super Over was only accepted after Sri Lanka A agreed to it.

WATCH – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Falls For 38; Dawoodzai’s Celebration Sparks Fan Reactions

The tension escalated further when Suryansh Shedge pointed his bat toward Halambage, before Sooryavanshi became involved in a brief physical confrontation. The teenager was later seen exchanging gestures during a verbal spat involving Halambage and Wanuja Sahan, adding another layer of controversy to an already heated contest.