Sanjay Manjrekar has sparked a fierce debate across the cricketing fraternity by suggesting that teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should have been dropped as a punishment ahead of India A’s tri-series clash against Afghanistan A in Dambulla on Wednesday, June 17.
The former India batter turned commentator took to social media following an ugly on-field altercation during the ongoing Tri-Nation A series in Sri Lanka. Tensions boiled over after Sri Lanka A clinched a dramatic Super Over victory earlier in the week, with television footage catching the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi charging towards opposition players and physically shoving Vishen Halambage.
Reports emerged that Halambage had been relentlessly sledging the young opener, at one point muttering, “Go home, this is not the IPL.” While many fans and pundits defended the youngster, questioning Sri Lanka A’s choice to provoke a minor, a few others fiercely criticised Sooryavanshi for losing his composure. Manjrekar firmly aligned with the latter camp, making it clear that a player’s bat cannot do the talking when lines of discipline are crossed. He posted on X:
India A vs Afghanistan A Updates
“If I was India A coach or manager I would have left Vaibhav Suryavanshi out for this game v AFG. Only to let him know that it’s not OK to get physical on the field. Whatever the provocations.”
VAIBHAV FLUFFS ANOTHER START
Ultimately retained in the XI on Wednesday, Sooryavanshi found himself in the spotlight for his cricketing output, where a familiar narrative unfolded. The left-hander struck a crisp 38 off 28 deliveries against Afghanistan A, providing a characteristically brisk start before throwing his wicket away without converting it into a substantial milestone. It was a tough outing for Sooryavanshi as he rode his luck as half-chances were not converted by Afghanistan A filders.
This tour has rapidly turned into a stern examination of the teenager’s adaptability. Having spent nearly three consecutive months immersed in the maximum-intensity environment of T20 cricket, the shift to the patient requirements of the 50-over format is proving to be a steep learning curve. In his four tournament outings so far, he has logged scores of 14, 44, 21, and 38, showcasing undeniable fluency but repeatedly falling short of a maiden half-century.
After the unbridled euphoria of IPL 2026, where he rewrote the record books to claim the Orange Cap and MVP awards, this tri-series serves as a timely reminder of the diverse challenges of international cricket.
The technical and emotional lessons learned in Dambulla will need to be absorbed quickly. Later this month, Sooryavanshi is scheduled to join the senior national squad for the UK tour, featuring two T20Is in Ireland and five in England, where he could potentially surpass Sachin Tendulkar as India’s youngest-ever debutant. For the prodigy, tempering his explosive instincts with tactical discipline remains the final frontier.
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