When Sooryavanshi emerged from the dressing room, he appeared drained. Spotting Tennekoon, however, his expression softened and walked over to touch the veteran’s feet. | Photo Credit: Shayan Acharya

As the India-A players remained locked in a lengthy discussion inside the dressing room following their dramatic Super Over defeat to Sri Lanka-A, a septuagenarian stood patiently outside, waiting for just one player.

The spectators had long left the Rangiri International Stadium. Ground staff was beginning to wrap up for the night, journalists were filing their reports and the emotions of a chaotic evening were still raw.

Yet, Anura Tennekoon remained where he was, occasionally glancing towards the dressing room entrance.

Sri Lanka’s first ODI captain and one of the country’s most respected cricketing figures had made the journey from Colombo with a simple purpose — to meet Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

“He is a generational talent,” Tennekoon told  Sportstar.

The former captain waited for nearly an hour. Players and support staff came and went. At one stage, he even spent a few minutes chatting with India-A captain Tilak Varma. But he was in no hurry. He was there for Sooryavanshi.

The teenager had endured a difficult evening. He had failed with the bat yet again, found himself at the centre of a heated exchange following the Super Over and walked off the field carrying the disappointment of a defeat that India-A felt could have been avoided.

When Sooryavanshi finally emerged from the dressing room, he appeared drained. Spotting Tennekoon, however, his expression softened. The 15-year-old walked over, bent down and touched the veteran’s feet.

Tennekoon immediately pulled him into a hug.

The conversation lasted only a few moments, but it was enough.

“You focus on your game and cut out the outside noise,” Tennekoon told him. Sooryavanshi quietly nodded.

For a player who has spent much of the last year being celebrated, scrutinised and discussed in equal measure, the advice appeared to strike a chord.

“I was really impressed by his batting in the IPL. And hitting those sixes and fours the way he does is something unbelievable. I hope he continues in this way,” Tennekoon said.

The admiration was evident. Here was a former international captain, now in his seventies, waiting patiently after a long day of cricket to offer a few words of encouragement to a teenager.

Amid the disappointment, controversy and noise that surrounded the game, it was a quiet, touching moment — one that unfolded far away from the crowd, but perhaps meant more than anything.

Published on Jun 15, 2026