Sri Lanka A captain Sahan Arachige has refuted claims that his team is targeting India A opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of the tournament final. Arachige’s comments came after a heated group-stage clash between the two teams, which ended with an on-field brawl and drew attention to their rivalry.
The final of the triangular A series between India A and Sri Lanka A will be played on Sunday, June 21 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. India A booked their place in the final with a 101-run win over Afghanistan A on 17 June. Sri Lanka A later defeated Afghanistan A to secure their place in the title match.
Sri Lanka A captain breaks silence on Vaibhav Suryavanshi controversy
Sri Lanka A captain Sahan Arachige clarified his team’s mindset ahead of the final against India A. He said the emotions shown by the players were a natural reaction to the pressure of the Super Over and denied claims that Sri Lanka A was targeting Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
“The boys are not targeting anyone or anything. They are just enjoying themselves. Emotions come out in a close game like a Super Over. It is normal,” he told Sportstar.
“There are a lot of experienced players on this team. They know what to do and they know how to play,” he said.
What happened between Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Vishen Halambaj?
The clash started after Sri Lanka A defeated India A in the Super Over during the group stage. Chasing 14 runs off the last three balls, Vaibhav Suryavanshi could not take India A over the line. Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage aggressively approached him and exchanged words.
The players continued to have a verbal exchange before Vaibhav pushed Halambaj away. Niroshan Dickwella came forward and calmed the situation. Sri Lanka Cricket later fined Halambaj for his role in the incident, while the BCCI decided not to take any action against Vaibhav.
According to the Cricbuzz report, Halambaj had repeatedly sledged Vaibhav throughout the series. He reportedly asked the young batsman to return home and claimed that the tournament was not the IPL.
Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar Said that India A management should have dropped Vaibhav for the next match against Afghanistan A As a disciplinary measure. Earlier in the tournament, India A had defeated Sri Lanka A by eight runs in their first group-stage meeting.
How Vaibhav Suryavanshi performed in the Tri-Nation A Series
Vaibhav Suryavanshi had a mediocre tournament in Dambulla. The India A opener has scored 118 runs in four matches at an average of 29.50. However, he has maintained an impressive strike rate of 153.94 throughout the competition.
The young batsman has shown his aggressive intent at the crease but has struggled to convert bright starts into big scores. Although he has played many quick innings, he has not managed to register a match-defining innings in the tournament.
After Sunday’s final, Vaibhav and Tilak Verma will travel to Ireland to join the senior Indian team for a two-match T20I series in Belfast. Vaibhav recently became the youngest player to be selected for the senior Indian team, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record.
