SL players should be educated on how to behave, says Bowling coach Sairaj on Sooryavanshi's altercation
Lucknow, June 16
Ahead of the second ODI against Afghanistan, India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule commented on 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's altercation with Sri Lanka A players during the ongoing tri-nation series for India A in Sri Lanka.
During the recent India A-Sri Lanka A clash on Monday, Sooryavanshi was invovled in an altercation with SL players after SL won in the Super Over, particularly with Vishem Halambage, which escalated to physical contact. The cause for the incident is not known.
Speaking during the presser, Sairaj termed the incident as "unfortunate", but said Sri Lanka players should have known better on behaving well, saying that teenage batter is a "well composed' kid as far as he knows.
"It was an unfortunate incident. But we do not know how it was provoked. Because as far as I know Vaibhav, he is a very composed boy. Unfortunate incidents but I am sure there are experienced coaches there who will explain it to him," he said.
"And I think Sri Lankan players should also be educated in terms of how we need to behave. And so does it go with us. We will make sure that information is given to him as to why that happened."
"But he will learn. He is a young kid with a lot of responsibilities. I think some sort of understanding will be there with him and I am sure he will not repeat it. And I think such incidents can also be avoided," he concluded.
Sooryavanshi had an okayish outing in SL, scoring 14, a quickfire 44 and a quickfire 21 in his run.
The batter came into the series after a generational IPL season for Rajasthan Royals (RR), emerging as the Orange Cap winner, the season's MVP and highest six hitter. He scored 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.50, including a century, five fifties and 72 sixes.
India's next fixture in that tri-series is against Afghanistan A on Wednesday to keep their hopes for final alive.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Vaibhav is just 15 and already scoring like a beast in IPL! 😍 But with great fame comes great responsibility. He needs guidance on handling pressure and provocations. The coaching staff should work with him on emotional control—not just blame the opposition. Let's nurture this talent properly!
As an outsider, this seems like classic deflection. The coach should focus on his own player's behavior first. If a 15-year-old is getting into physical altercations, that's a red flag for the system, not the opposition. India needs to instill discipline in young stars early.
Look, Vaibhav is a prodigy—we all saw him in IPL. But age doesn't excuse bad behavior. Sairaj should've said "let's investigate first" instead of immediately pointing fingers. That said, SL players have a reputation for getting under people's skin. Both sides need to calm down. Cricket is about spirit, not fights! 🤞
Interesting how Sairaj plays the "composed kid" card without knowing the full story. In international cricket, everyone is under pressure. SL players might have been aggressive, but Vaibhav is old enough to walk away. The coach's job is to teach his player to rise above, not shift blame.
Yaar, these things happen in the heat of the moment. Vaibhav is just a kid who's been under the spotlight since IPL. Give him a break! But yes, coaches should handle it internally rather than making it
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