Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that the match referee in question for the infamous tri-series match between India 'A' and Sri Lanka 'A', Pradeep Jeyaprakashdaran, was frightened when Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got into a violent altercation at the end of the game.

The Sri Lankan players engaged in the incident were chastised and fined, but the Indian teenage prodigy evaded punishment. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pushed Sri Lanka A's Vishen Halambage after being provoked, causing a huge outcry among fans and analysts.

While the majority agreed the teenager should be spared punishment due to his age, Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that the team management remove him from the next match.

Since the International Cricket Council (ICC) was involved in the procedures, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had a major influence on the final decision. Manjrekar disagrees with the board's decision to spare the up-and-coming star, particularly considering there was physical contact.

"Had he just gotten into a verbal fight, that would have been okay, but there was physical contact, and that is a big deal, according to me. The Sri Lankan referee must have gotten scared because it was an Indian player. I mean, no fine, nothing; only the Sri Lankan players were warned and fined. I don't think they handled this situation well; I just want to vent my frustration here," Sanjay Manjrekar said on the Sony Sports Network.

Sooryavanshi played the remainder of the tournament and scored an 11-ball fifty on his way to a 29-ball 94 in the final of the A team tri-series in Dambulla, helping India A win the title.

According to Sooryavanshi, the BCCI must make sure that such an incident never occurs again because Sri Lankan officials were scared to oppose the Indians in any way.

"I am not going to be anti-Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and I won't start hating him. I completely understand what he has done. But as people who are custodians of the game, you also have to react to that. You can't show that it is okay. I mean, no action was taken against him, nothing at all. Not even an official warning or a fine, just nothing. The Sri Lankan officials were under pressure because when India wanted a super over in bad light, they allowed it. BCCI should nip it in the bud, but I don't think Vaibhav will do it again, because he knew himself that what he did was not right," Manjrekar added.

Sooryavanshi is in line for his India T20I debut in the upcoming series against Ireland and England.