India A skipper Tilak Varma has strongly backed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to continue playing his natural, aggressive game despite the growing scrutiny around the teenager’s form and temperament in the ongoing tri-nation A series in Sri Lanka.
Sooryavanshi was rewarded with a place in the Indian A squad following his record-breaking exploits in the IPL 2026 season.
Playing for Rajasthan Royals, the 15-year-old became the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner, racking up 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30 and hitting 72 sixes, while sweeping an unprecedented five major individual awards.
While Sooryavanshi’s IPL form was fairytale stuff, his transition to the Pathway Series in Sri Lanka has been a humbling learning curve, posting modest scores of 14, 44, 21 and 38 in four outings.
The youngster also found himself at the centre of chaos as he lost his cool after being provoked by Sri Lanka A player Vishen Halambage in Dambulla on Monday (June 15).
The tension boiled over after India A failed to chase 17 runs in the Super Over. As Sooryavanshi was walking back to the pavilion, Halambage reportedly sledged him by saying, "Match over…now you go home".
This prompted Sooryavanshi to charge back, leading to a shoving match that required intervention from senior players like Niroshan Dickwella to defuse the situation.
While the physical altercation brought Sooryavanshi under the scanner, Tilak threw his weight behind the wonder kid.
“It will definitely be challenging for him when he makes that transition to the senior men’s team. He’s come from U-19 cricket, had a fantastic IPL and is now representing a senior side. But he’s extremely talented. If he gets going, he can finish games on his own. The most important thing for someone like him is backing. Young players need freedom,” Tilak said while speaking to Sportstar.
“I’ve told him to keep playing his natural game, enjoy and not take pressure. At his age, this is the time to learn and express himself. Whatever he has achieved so far has come from playing positively. There’s no reason to change that,” he added.
Tilak Varma confirmed he has personally assured Vaibhav Sooryavanshi of full dressing-room support amid immense criticism.
“As captain, I told him I’m always there if he needs anything. Just keep learning, keep enjoying the game and trust your strengths. So, we are backing him and hoping that he comes good in the final. And, if he gets going, we all know what he’s capable of doing. I hope he keeps going in the final,” the India A captain remarked.
After a string of low scores, Sooryavanshi will look to make amends in the tri-nation A series final against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on Sunday (June 21).
