Vishen Halambage, a Sri Lankan cricketer, has reportedly blocked his Instagram account after facing online abuse. The reaction came after his on-field altercation with India A batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi, which took place during the ongoing Tri-Nation A series in Sri Lanka and attracted widespread attention.
India A faces Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Monday, 15 July. Sri Lanka A won the match in the Super Over after both teams finished on 265 runs each. Following the confrontation, Halambaj faced heavy criticism online, and his Instagram profile was reportedly unavailable as of Tuesday morning.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi involved in controversy with Vishen Halambaj
Tilak Verma-led India A suffered a setback after failing to defend 265 against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla in the tri-A series. The hosts matched the total to force a Super Over and then scored 17 runs, leaving India A a target of 18 runs to win.
Chasing the target in dim light, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge could score only nine runs in the Super Over. Tension mounted as India A players walked off the field after the defeat. It has been claimed in the reports Vishen Halambaj exchanged words with Suryavanshi after the match.
“The match is over… now you go home,” Halambaj told Suryavanshi.
This comment reportedly angered Suryavanshi, who later confronted Halambaj. Although both teams completed the customary post-match handshake, the incident overshadowed the match.
Vishen Halambaj faces online abuse after Vaibhav Suryavanshi controversy
Following the controversy with Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vishen Halambaj became the target of widespread online trolling. Videos of the incident quickly spread on social media following Sri Lanka A’s Super Over win over India A in Dambulla, drawing attention to the young player.
Social media users reportedly flooded Halambase’s Instagram account with hate comments. Reports also claimed that some of his family members faced online harassment. His Instagram account might have been blocked after receiving a large number of complaints and user reports.
Neither Instagram nor Halambaj have officially confirmed why the account became unavailable. However, the incident has once again highlighted the dark side of social media, where young athletes can become targets of online abuse following high-profile on-field incidents and controversies.
Sri Lanka A beats India A in Dambulla thanks to the brilliant bowling of Kughathas Mathulan in the Super Over.
India A and Sri Lanka A were tied at 265 runs after 50 overs, sending the match into a super over. Sri Lanka A scored 16 runs in the tie-breaker and set India A a target of 17 runs. However, India A could score only nine runs as fast bowler Kugathas Mathulan bowled the match-winning spell.
Mathulan kept Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge under pressure throughout the Super Over. His disciplined bowling helped Sri Lanka A achieve a memorable victory in a dramatic finish in Dambulla.
Earlier, India A recovered from 143/7 thanks to a crucial 104-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Suryansh Shedge and Vipraj Nigam. In reply, Sadira Samarawickrama chased down Sri Lanka A with 93 runs, but Arshad Khan bowled a brilliant final over to tie the match and take the contest into the Super Over.