Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Faces Heavy Fine, Tilak Varma Not Spared; BCCI Decision Pending

Star India cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might be charged 50% of his match fee for his altercation with a Sri Lanka cricketer during the ongoing tri-nation series, with skipper Tilak Varma also likely to face sanctions, according to a report in Sportstar.

Sooryavanshi and Vishen Halambage have each been recommended fines amounting to 50% of their match fees, while Varma faces a proposed 30% penalty after incidents during Monday’s India A vs Sri Lanka A match in Dambulla.

Match referee Pradeep Jeyapragash has also recommended a 20% fine for Sri Lanka A wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella.

The sanctions follow an incident in which Sooryavanshi was seen involved in a heated exchange with Vishen Halambage and multiple other Sri Lankan cricketers

after the game, marred by an ugly finish to what had otherwise been a closely contested encounter.

Sooryavanshi was also seen shoving Halambage.

According to the report, a few Sri Lankan cricketers had been sledging Sooryavanshi and some of his India A teammates since the start of the tournament, often taunting them about their IPL performances.

Unlike senior international cricket, disciplinary sanctions in A-team games aren’t enforced by the ICC. Instead, the match referee’s recommendations have been forwarded to BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket, with both boards now responsible for deciding whether to confirm and implement the proposed penalties.

Although no formal hearing was held, the match referee imposed the sanctions on the basis of reports submitted by the on-field umpires.

Needing 17 to win in the Super Over, India managed only nine runs against slinger Kaguthas Mathulan to lose their second match in a row.

Sooryavanshi, who faced the last three balls from Mathulan, managed only six runs, including a four.

After the game ended, the Sri Lankan team were seen engaging in exuberant celebrations, as Sooryavanshi and his batting partner Suryansh Shedge made their way back towards the pavilion.