Vipraj Nigam penalised rare 10 runs for repeatedly running in the danger zone against Sri Lanka A

India A suffered a rare setback during their Tri-Nation A Series match against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla after all-rounder Vipraj Nigam was penalised twice for running on the protected area of the pitch. The repeated mistakes resulted in a total 10-run penalty, giving Sri Lanka A an automatic advantage before they even began their innings.

The unusual incident quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the match, as such penalties are rarely seen in professional cricket.

How did Vipraj Nigam concede 10 penalty runs? — The two danger zone violations that cost India A in the 35th and 37th overs

The first incident took place in the 35th over of India's innings when Vipraj Nigam ran through the middle of the pitch while completing a run. The umpires issued a warning after the violation.

However, only a couple of overs later, Nigam repeated the same mistake. During the 37th over, he guided a delivery towards the short third-man region and attempted a quick single before being sent back by his batting partner. In the process, he again ran through the protected area of the pitch.

See Also: Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out for 21 — India struggle again vs Sri Lanka A in Tri-Nation 2026

Since it was his second offense after the warning, the umpires imposed another five-run penalty. As a result, Sri Lanka A were awarded a total of 10 penalty runs and officially started their innings at 10/0.

What Is the danger zone rule? — The cricket law that got Vipraj Nigam penalised and why batters must avoid the middle of the pitch

The middle section of the pitch is known as the protected or danger area. Batsmen are required to run on either side of the wicket and avoid stepping on the middle area, which the bowlers use and can easily get damaged.

According to the MCC laws, "If either batter causes deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch, other than as in 41.15, at the first instance, the umpire seeing the contravention shall, when the ball is dead, inform the other umpire of the occurrence. The bowler's end umpire shall then warn both batters that the practice is unfair and indicate that this is a first and final warning. This warning shall apply throughout the innings."

The law further states, "It is unfair to cause deliberate or avoidable damage to the pitch. If the striker enters the protected area while playing or playing with the ball, he/she must move from it immediately thereafter. A batter will be deemed to be causing avoidable damage if either umpire considers that his/her presence on the pitch is without reasonable cause."

Vipraj Nigam was warned after his firstoffense. However, when he repeated the mistake later in the innings, the umpires applied the rule and awarded another five-run penalty. As a result, Sri Lanka A received a total of 10 penalty runs before starting their chase.

India A bowled out for 265 against Sri Lanka A — How Vipraj Nigam's 10-run penalty hurt their total in 4th ODI

India A were bowled out for 265 in 49.2 overs after recovering from a difficult position. The innings started poorly, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scoring 21 and Prabhsimran Singh making 11 before both openers were dismissed early.

Captain Tilak Varma scored 23, while Anukul Roy managed 8 as India A slipped into trouble. Sri Lanka A bowlers Vijayakanth Viyaskanth (3/26) and Mohamed Shiraz (3/33) kept the pressure on the visitors throughout the innings.

See Also: "Absolutely Entertaining" — Ashwin's reaction to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India A innings says it all

The recovery came through a brilliant 104-run partnership between Suryansh Shedge and Vipraj Nigam. Shedge was the top scorer with 72 runs, while Nigam played a crucial knock of 51. Their stand got India A to a challenging total after they were in deep trouble early in the innings.

But Nigam’s batting effort was overshadowed by two danger zone violations, which gave Sri Lanka A a precious 10-run advantage even before the chase began.

Follow live scorecard of India-A vs Sri Lanka-A in Tri-Nation Series 2026

Sri Lanka A are 37/0 in 3.1 overs (Lahiru Udara 19, Nuwanidu Fernando 17) vs India A 265 all out in 49.2 overs. Sri Lanka needs 229 more runs from 281 balls to win.