Watch- Wild Scenes In IND-A vs SL-A! Ball Hits Helmet, India Awarded 5 Penalty Runs

Wild Scenes In IND-A vs SL-A [Source: X]

During the India A vs Sri Lanka A Tri-Series game held in Dambulla, the men in blue received an unexpected blessing as they were awarded five extra runs as a penalty after a Sri Lankan wicketkeeper fumbled badly on the field.

The match began with Sri Lanka opting to bowl first. India were off to a shaky start, losing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh on 21 and 11 runs, respectively. However, Ruturaj Gaikwad rescued the innings with a steady 37 off 42 balls. 

India awarded five extra runs for Dickwella's mistake

Meanwhile, in the 16th over, Kugadas Mathulan bowled a delivery that went down the leg side to Ayush Badoni. The umpire called it a wide. However, the drama didn’t end there.

Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Dickwella failed to gather the ball, and then it struck the helmet placed on the ground behind him. Under the Laws of Cricket, if the ball in play hits a helmet belonging to the fielding side that is placed on the ground, the batting side is awarded a 5-run penalty.

Watch the video below:

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Jun 15, 2026, 11:24 AM

Hence, India received a total of 6 runs without wasting a single ball. That was certainly a big boost for the men in blue as some pressure got released from the back of Badoni’s shoulder.

However, he couldn’t capitalise on that momentum as he got dismissed on 15 out of 35 balls. Nishant Sindhu and Tilak Varma also struggled as India A lost 6 wickets with just 125 runs on the board.

Also Read - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Batting Weakness Exposed By Afghanistan Bowler

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s poor run continues 

Meanwhile, after a record-breaking IPL 2026 season where he scored close to 800 runs for Rajasthan Royals, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got an opportunity to make his debut for India A.

However, he scored 14 and 44 runs, respectively, in the first two games of the Tri-Series against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A. Moreover, in the third game, he again fell cheaply on 21 runs.

What's notable is that Sri Lanka A appeared to have done their homework. They introduced spin early, tempted him into an attacking stroke, and induced a mis-hit. 

While fans were disappointed, it’s perhaps too early to judge a 15-year-old. After this Tri-Series, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could get an opportunity to make his debut in the senior team, as he is selected for both the Ireland and England series.

India A’s mixed run in the Tri-Series

Meanwhile, in the two games so far, India A won against Sri Lanka A but lost to Afghanistan A, thus standing at the second spot on the points table.

Against Sri Lanka in the first fixture, India managed to hold on to their nerves to grab an 8-run victory, but against Afghanistan, rain played a massive spoilsport.

Despite Afghanistan scoring 349 runs in the first innings, India A had scored 177 in 25.5 overs, but rain halted the play, and Afghanistan were eventually declared the winner as per the DLS method.

Regardless, if India A wins the third game against Sri Lanka A, they will grab the top spot on the points table.

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