BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reacts to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's on-field physical altercation

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has asked India A players to focus on their cricket and avoid being distracted by “collateral issues” during the ongoing tri‑series in Sri Lanka.

His remarks follow a physical altercation between India A opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sri Lanka A batting allrounder Vishen Halambage. The 15‑year‑old Indian batter was involved in a heated brawl with the 21‑year‑old Sri Lankan before wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella stepped in to defuse the situation during a tense Super Over finish on June 15. The incident stemmed from verbal exchanges after Sri Lanka A clinched victory in the high‑voltage contest.

Speaking to The Times of India, Saikia reminded the players of the bigger picture:

“India A is playing a major tournament, all the upcoming players who can stake their claim for the Indian senior team, they are in the midst of a very big tournament, a tri‑nation series, so they should concentrate on their game rather than getting distracted from [sic.] any collateral issues.”

He added that the focus must remain on performance and winning the tournament.

“They should not focus on that, they should concentrate on their game and they should give their best performance so that India can come out with a victory in the tri‑nation series. That is our only concern now.”

Saikia also dismissed speculation that the BCCI had spoken directly to Sooryavanshi after the incident, stressing that such matters are handled by the team’s support staff.

“It is not our duty to speak to the players for any reason. The players are only concentrated with [sic.] their games and the support staff and the coaches who are present with them, nothing else. So nobody interferes in their game and their strategy and their preparation for that big series, which is presently going on.

"We will follow this policy that during a major tournament, when they are playing for the country, they should not get distracted by any other secondary issues, which are not of paramount importance. The important thing is India’s winning and performing well in the tri‑series. So that is our focus and other than that, we are not doing anything at this stage.”