Indian wunderkind Sooryavanshi, 15, loses cool in on-field spat during Sri Lanka match

Published June 16, 2026 Updated June 16, 2026 11:07am
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits through the off side during the match between India and Sri Lanka in Damballa on June 15, 2026. — Photo courtesy Sri Lanka Cricket
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hits through the off side during the match between India and Sri Lanka in Damballa on June 15, 2026. — Photo courtesy Sri Lanka Cricket
India's Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action in New Road, Worcester, Britain on July 5, 202. — Reuters/File
India's Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action in New Road, Worcester, Britain on July 5, 202. — Reuters/File

Fifteen-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi blew his fuse in an India A game in Sri Lanka and pushed an opposition player after a heated on-field exchange.

The spotlight has been on Sooryavanshi since his batting heroics in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) won him a place in India’s senior men’s team for their T20 tour of Ireland and England.

But he made headlines for all the wrong reasons after he and a Sri Lanka A player confronted each other, following India’s narrow defeat in a Super Over in Dambulla on Monday.

Sri Lanka’s Vishen Halambage exchanged words with departing Indian batters before Sooryavanshi responded and shoved him, according to Indian media and broadcast footage.

Sri Lanka A wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella stepped in to calm tempers and separated the two players.

The teams exchanged handshakes, but TV images showed Sooryavanshi visibly upset.

The left-handed opener capped off a stunning IPL 2026 season for Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs to finish as the tournament’s leading run scorer.

He struck one century and five half-centuries during the season to pick up the Orange Cap for the leading run-getter.

He also bagged the IPL’s most valuable player and emerging player prizes.

He is in line to become India’s youngest player, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, the batting great who made his Test debut aged 16 years and 205 days in 1989.

India’s senior team will play Ireland on June 26 and 28 in Belfast. The England series will begin on July 1 in Chester-le-Street.

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