Former Sri Lanka ODI captain Anura Tennekoon waited close to an hour after a tense match in Dambulla for the chance to meet young India batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
A heated finish in Dambulla
On Monday, June 15, India A lost to Sri Lanka A in a Super Over. Sooryavanshi made little impact while chasing 17. Tempers rose after the game, with the 15-year-old involved in a heated exchange with Sri Lankan players following on-field sledging.
The left-hander has scored 14, 44 and 21 in his three innings so far. He earned his place after an outstanding IPL season in which he won both the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award, but a defining innings in this series has so far eluded him.
The meeting
Tennekoon embraced Sooryavanshi, who respectfully touched his feet. The veteran told him to concentrate on his own game and shut out the outside noise, as quoted by Sportstar. He said he had been very impressed by Sooryavanshi’s IPL batting and hoped he would keep going in the same way. Sooryavanshi finished that season with the most sixes, passing Chris Gayle’s long-standing single-edition record.
Pressure on India A
India A have won one and lost two of their tri-series matches. They must beat Afghanistan A in their last league game on Wednesday, June 17, and even that might not be enough to reach the final. Tilak Varma and his team therefore go into the match under pressure.
