All About Vishen Halambage; Sri Lanka Player Who Fought With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Who Is Vishen Halambage? [Source: X]

In a tense clash between India A and Sri Lanka in Dambulla, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shoved Vishen Halambage after the hosts beat the men in blue in a Super Over thriller. The incident quickly escalated into a full-blown controversy.

India A and Sri Lanka A were competing in a Tri-Series clash when the 4th fixture ended in a tie. After much drama around bad light, the Super Over finally happened, where Sri Lanka emerged victorious.

However, immediately after, Halambage apparently sledged Sooryavanshi, and his words triggered the 15-year-old, as he not only shoved the bowler but also abused him on his way back.

Who is Vishen Halambage?

The man at the centre of this controversy is Vishen Halambage. Born on January 19, 2005, he is a right-handed batter who also bowls right-arm leg-spin.

Although many Indian fans had never heard of him before the Dambulla controversy, Halambage is considered a promising young cricketer in Sri Lanka's system.

His father, Kumara Halambage, played first-class cricket in Sri Lanka. Also, his uncle, Halambage Premasiri, served as president of the Galle District Cricket Association.

Vishen studied at St. Peter's College in Colombo after initially attending Stafford International School. He made his T20 debut for Panadura Sports Club in 2023 and later represented Sri Lanka at the U19 level.

In 25 T20s so far, Vishen Halambage has scored 618 runs, including 4 fifties, and also picked up 11 wickets. Apart from T20s, he has also played List A cricket and was selected by Paarl Royals in 2026, indicating that franchises see potential in him. 

Also Read - BCCI Issues Official Order For India-A Players After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Case

Vishen Halambage punished for provoking Sooryavanshi

That being said, according to the latest report from Cricbuzz, match referee Pradeep Jeyapragash has imposed sanctions on players involved in Monday's heated India A vs Sri Lanka A clash in Dambulla. 

Vishen Halambage has reportedly been punished for sledging Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, the exact punishment has not yet been disclosed.

Interestingly, Niroshan Dickwella, who was the peacemaker during the altercation, has also been fined, but it may have been for excessive appealing or another code-of-conduct breach and not something related to the on-field fight.

However, there is no confirmation yet regarding sanctions against Sooryavanshi. Also, all these sanctions are being imposed by SLC, as the ICC has no role to play in unofficial games.

SLC unhappy with the controversy

One interesting aspect of the report is the suggestion that many within Sri Lankan cricket are unhappy about how events unfolded. It claims that some Sri Lankan players reportedly reached out privately to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi earlier.

There was also discussion inside the Sri Lankan camp about apologising. But the regret appears to stem not only from the incident itself but also from the fact that a confrontation between Indian and Sri Lankan players occurred on Sri Lankan soil.  

But for now, both India and Sri Lanka are expected to move on from this controversy and redirect their focus on the Tri-Series.

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