BCCI Secretary Clarifies No Role in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Controversy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Devajit Saikia, has addressed the controversy surrounding teenage cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's altercation with Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage during a recent tri-nation A series match. Saikia firmly stated that the BCCI has no jurisdiction over such incidents, which fall under the purview of match officials.

The heated exchange occurred after Sri Lanka A secured a dramatic Super Over victory against India A. Halambage allegedly made provocative remarks, leading to a confrontation where the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi pushed the Sri Lankan player away. The incident sparked widespread speculation on social media about potential disciplinary action by the BCCI, which Saikia dismissed as unfounded.

"A lot of things are going on in the social media that BCCI is contemplating action, etc. Do you want BCCI to step into the domain of match referee?" Saikia questioned, emphasizing that disciplinary matters on the field are exclusively handled by the designated match officials, including referees and umpires.

Reiterating the board's stance, Saikia stated, "The BCCI is not an authority; we should not intrude into the area where the match referee and the umpires are the main persons who can take any decision regarding any incident that had happened in the playground." He further clarified that the incident was part of the game and that the established system of governance would address any issues arising from it.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Cricket-appointed match referee Pradeep Jeyapragash has reportedly sanctioned Halambage and senior wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for separate offences during the match. Halambage faced penalties for his provocative comments directed at Indian batters, while Dickwella was sanctioned for excessive appealing despite his attempts to de-escalate the confrontation. The exact nature of the punishments remains unclear, and there has been no confirmation of any warnings or disciplinary measures against Indian players, including Sooryavanshi and captain Tilak Varma.

The match itself was a nail-biter, with both teams scoring 265 runs, forcing a Super Over. Chasing 17 runs, India A managed only nine, with Sooryavanshi contributing six off the final three deliveries bowled by Sri Lanka A's left-arm pacer Kugathas Mathulan.