Words exchanged between the players at the conclusion of a tense contest, which Sri Lanka A won via the Super Over, escalated into physical contact, with Sooryavanshi and Halambage shoving each other at one stage and having to be separated.
“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,” Saikia told The Times of India.
“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.”
The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi has been in the spotlight for his precocious, record-shattering rise as well as a small history of disciplinary issues – during the final of last year’s Under-19 Asia Cup against Pakistan, he pointed towards his shoe after being dismissed.
Saikia said the BCCI had not spoken to Sooryavanshi or any of the other players.
“It is not our duty to speak to the players for any reason,” he said. “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.”
Sooryavanshi is in line for an India debut, having earned his first international call-up for the T20Is on the upcoming tours of Ireland and England.