The Board of Control for Cricket in India has firmly declined to get involved in the heated on-field exchange between promising batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sri Lanka A spinner Vishen Halambage during a recent match in Dambulla.
Board secretary Devajit Saikia emphasized that the Indian cricket governing body has no role in addressing such incidents, as they fall squarely under the jurisdiction of the match referee and on-field officials. This position comes amid widespread discussion following the altercation that unfolded on Monday evening.
According to Saikia, the responsibility for handling on-field disputes rests entirely with the appointed match officials. He noted that speculation about potential board intervention is unfounded, stressing that stepping in would overstep boundaries and set an inappropriate precedent. The board operates within established rules and international cricket regulations, which clearly assign authority in these matters to the match referee.
Match referee Pradeep Jayapragash had already taken action by fining Halambage. Niroshan Dickwella, who stepped in to separate the players, also faced sanctions. Reports indicated that Halambage had directed remarks at Sooryavanshi not only in this game but also during a prior meeting between the sides on June 9.
The confrontation escalated after India A fell short in a Super Over chase, needing 18 runs to win. As the home side celebrated, verbal exchanges turned physical, with cameras capturing Sooryavanshi pushing Halambage, followed by a reciprocal shove. Tension lingered as Sooryavanshi continued voicing his frustrations while leaving the field.
Saikia made it clear that the board does not interfere in the conduct of matches or on-field player behavior. “There is already a system in place,” he stated, underscoring that umpires and the match referee are best positioned to manage such situations. Any necessary decisions regarding player conduct during play are left to these authorities.
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While the board has in the past addressed player conduct issues it deemed crossed acceptable lines, it draws a distinction for events occurring directly on the field of play. In this instance, officials view the matter as resolved through the standard disciplinary process already applied by the match referee.
The incident has drawn attention particularly because Sooryavanshi, a talented young player yet to register a major score in the ongoing tri-nation series, found himself at the center of the drama. The board’s hands-off approach reinforces the principle that on-field matters should be managed by those directly overseeing the game, preserving the integrity of cricket’s established regulatory framework.