Mumbai: After a heated exchange between Vaibhav Suriyavanshi and Sri Lanka A’s Vishen Halampage during the tri-series in Tambulla on Monday, BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia has urged the India A players to focus on their performance on the field.
At the end of a thrilling match, Sri Lanka A won by super over, the incident occurred when verbal exchanges between the players escalated into a minor physical altercation.
Suryavanshi and Halambake were seen pushing each other before being separated by teammates and officials. The comments came after concerns about discipline were raised in the high-profile match between India A and Sri Lanka A.
Speaking about the incident, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devjit Saikia said that young players should avoid distractions and focus on cricket.
“India A is playing a big tournament and these are players competing for the senior team. They are in the midst of a very important tri-series, so they should focus on their game rather than being distracted by any collateral issues,” Saikia said.
“They should not focus on that. They should focus on their game and play their best so that India can win the tri-series. That is our only concern right now,” he added.
The 15-year-old Suryavanshi, who has drawn attention for his rapid rise and record-breaking performances, has drawn attention for disciplinary concerns, including an incident during the Under-19 Asia Cup final against Pakistan last year.
Saikia clarified that the board did not directly communicate with Suriyavanshi or other players regarding the incident.
“It is not our duty to talk to the players for any reason. The players focus on their game while the support staff and coaches manage everything,” he said.
He further emphasized that the only focus is on performance in the ongoing series.
“During a big tournament, when they are representing the country, they should not be distracted by secondary matters. Our priority is India’s win in the tri-series and strong performance of the team,” he added.
Having earned his first international call-up for the upcoming T20I tours to Ireland and England, Suryavanshi is expected to be in contention for a senior India debut.
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