Sooryavanshi Sr. urges Vaibhav to emulate Sachin
The heated exchange of words between star Indian player Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sri Lankan fielders during the India–Sri Lanka A match on Monday was sparked by the 15-year-old batsman being subjected to verbal abuse, particularly referencing his mother, says Sanjeev Sooryavanshi, father of the young cricketer.
“My son, 15, was abused by Sri Lankan fielders in broken Hindi and Vaibhav got more angry when they abused and used offensive words for his mother,” Sooryavanshi senior said, speaking to this writer from his home.
Having said that, he shared that he had pulled up Vaibhav for his part in the ugly confrontation on the field. “I scolded my son last night and told him to behave like a gentleman in this gentleman’s game,” he said.
Sanjeev Sooryavanshi said he had emphasized the importance of composure, and advised his son to take inspiration from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who famously responded to sledging with his bat rather than with words. “I told Vaibhav to keep quiet and take a leaf from Sachin’s book. Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar used to sledge Sachin when he was young, but Sachin replied to all sledging with his bat. I have told him to score more runs for the nation and make India proud.”
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan match referee Pradeep Jeyapragash, speaking over phone from the island nation, said he was in consultation with the umpires to gather more information about the incident and added that a decision on penalising those involved would be taken soon.
The episode has sparked a debate over sportsmanship and sledging in cricket, with many calling for stricter measures to ensure respect on the field.
