Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has once again become a talking point, but this time the spotlight is on comments made about him rather than his performance on the field. The 15-year-old prodigy was involved in a heated exchange with Sri Lanka A players earlier in the week, an incident that quickly sparked discussion across the cricketing community.
Former India batter and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar weighed in on the matter on Wednesday, offering a firm view on how the situation should have been handled. Known for speaking candidly, Manjrekar said that if he were part of the India A coaching or management staff, he would have left Sooryavanshi out of the match against Afghanistan A, believing a one-game omission would have been an appropriate lesson following the on-field confrontation.
What Did Sanjay Manjrekar Say About Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After the Sri Lanka A Incident?
Taking to X on Wednesday, Sanjay Manjrekar shared his view on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s on-field altercation during the Tri-Nation A Series. The former India batter wrote, “If I was India A coach or manager I would have left Vaibhav Suryavanshi out for this game v AFG. Only to let him know that’s it’s not OK to get physical on the field. Whatever the provocations.”
The comments came after tempers flared following India A’s Super Over defeat to Sri Lanka A earlier this week. After the match ended, Sooryavanshi was seen confronting Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage and shoving him. It later emerged that Halambage had been sledging the young batter throughout the series. However, Manjrekar stressed that getting physical on the field is not acceptable and that players cannot respond with a shove, regardless of the provocation.
Reports on Monday claimed that Halambage approached both Sooryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge after Sri Lanka A’s victory, leading to the confrontation before Niroshan Dickwella stepped in to calm the situation. According to reports, Halambage had been sledging Sooryavanshi since the opening game of the series and continued doing so in later matches. One of the comments allegedly directed at the India A batter was, “Go home, this is not the IPL.”
How the 15-Year-Old Has Performed for India A So Far
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s search for a big score in the Tri-Nation A Series continued against Afghanistan A. The left-hander enjoyed a couple of early escapes after a catch that would have dismissed him for a duck was overturned on review, while another chance was put down shortly after. He made the most of the reprieves to get going but could not convert his start into a major innings, eventually falling for 39 after looking set for a bigger score.
The innings followed a similar pattern to his earlier outings in the tournament. Despite arriving in Sri Lanka with plenty of momentum from a standout IPL 2026 campaign, Sooryavanshi is yet to register a half-century in the series. His scores so far read 14, 44, 21, 38 and 39, with the teenager repeatedly getting starts without turning them into a substantial contribution.
Even so, the 15-year-old remains one of India’s brightest prospects. He was recently named in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England, becoming the youngest player ever selected for the senior national team and surpassing a 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
