Sports16 June 2026

Former Sri Lanka captain advises Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

A valuable piece of advice went to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, a youth player drawing significant attention in Indian cricket circles, from former Sri Lanka cricket captain Anura Tennekoon.

The teenager received encouragement to focus solely on his game, ignoring social media buzz and outside noise generated by his rapid rise.

Tennekoon, who attended the India 'A' and Sri Lanka 'A' tri-series match in Dambulla, met and motivated the young Indian cricketer after the game.

During this encounter, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sought blessings from the former Sri Lankan skipper.

"Think only about your game and forget the things heard from outside. Unfortunately, you could not get among the runs today, but that is the nature of the game, you cannot play the same way every day," Tennekoon reportedly advised Sooryavanshi.

Tennekoon, who also holds the distinction of being Sri Lanka's first ODI captain, described Sooryavanshi as a "generational talent".

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi managed to score 21 runs in the Dambulla match, which saw Sri Lanka 'A' defeat India 'A' after a thrilling contest that went to a Super Over.
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