Sri Lanka A cricketer Vishen Halambage has reportedly had his Instagram account blocked after facing intense online abuse. The backlash followed his on-field altercation with India A batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, which took place during the ongoing Tri-Nation A Series in Sri Lanka and drew widespread attention.
India A faced Sri Lanka at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Monday, July 15. Sri Lanka A won the match in a Super Over after both teams finished on 265 runs. Following the confrontation, Halambage faced heavy criticism online, and his Instagram profile was reportedly unavailable by Tuesday morning.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Involved in Altercation with Vishen Halambage
India A, led by Tilak Varma, suffered a setback in the Tri-Nation A Series after failing to defend 265 runs against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla. The hosts matched the total to force a Super Over and then scored 17 runs, leaving India A with a target of 18 for victory.
Chasing the target under fading light, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge could only manage nine runs in the Super Over. As the India A players walked off the field following the defeat, tensions rose. Reports claimed that Vishen Halambage exchanged words with Sooryavanshi after the match.
"Match over…now you go home," Halambage told Sooryavanshi.
The remark reportedly angered Sooryavanshi, who confronted Halambage moments later. Although both teams completed the customary post-match handshakes, the incident overshadowed the match.
Vishen Halambage Faces Online Abuse After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Altercation
Following the altercation with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vishen Halambage became the target of widespread online trolling. Videos of the incident quickly spread across social media, drawing significant attention to the young player after Sri Lanka A's Super Over win over India A in Dambulla.
Social media users reportedly flooded Halambage's Instagram account with abusive comments. Reports also claimed that some members of his family faced online harassment. His Instagram account may have been blocked after receiving a high volume of complaints and user reports.
Neither Instagram nor Halambage has officially confirmed why the account became unavailable. However, the incident has once again highlighted the darker side of social media, where young athletes can become targets of online abuse following high-profile on-field incidents and controversies.
Kugathas Mathulan Stars in Super Over as Sri Lanka A Edge India A in Dambulla
India A and Sri Lanka A finished level on 265 runs after 50 overs, forcing the match into a Super Over. Sri Lanka A scored 16 runs in the tie-breaker and set India A a target of 17. However, India A managed only nine runs as pacer Kugathas Mathulan delivered a match-winning spell.
Mathulan kept Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Suryansh Shedge under pressure throughout the Super Over. His disciplined bowling helped Sri Lanka A secure a memorable victory in a dramatic finish at Dambulla.
Earlier, India A recovered from 143/7 thanks to a crucial 104-run partnership between Suryansh Shedge and Vipraj Nigam for the eighth wicket. In reply, Sadeera Samarawickrama led Sri Lanka A's chase with 93 runs, but Arshad Khan bowled an excellent final over to force a tie and take the contest into a Super Over.
