For a 15-year-old to bat the way he is…. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is just a class apart. Already, a lot has been spoken about his unmatched talent at this raw age, and any more of that, won’t justify how special he is. What really sums up his ability is, his selection for the T20I series’ vs Ireland and England, that will start from June 28. And on Thursday, in the IND A vs AFG A tri-series encounter, he showed, that he is ready to take the big step into the international arena, as he smashed 44 from only 22, for the Tilak Varma-led side.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shows form before Ireland, England series’
Though he missed his fifty, why this innings is significant is, because he displayed a lot of restraint in his batting, and did not unnecessarily take the aerial route, playing mostly along the carpet, hitting 9 fours and no sixes. All proper cricketing shots — punch through extra cover, square drives, cuts and what not.. total range, in short.
Sooryavanshi combined well with Prabhsimran Singh (84 from 69) to smash 74 runs in only 7 overs, before his departure — that too in a 50-over fixture, on a sluggish Dambulla wicket. One must also factor in, that the teenage sensation had failed in the first match of the tri-series against Sri Lanka A, scoring only 14 from 12, showing, he has the temperament and the will to succeed.
‘Sooryavanshi forced us’ to pick him
Even though Sooryavanshi’s performances speak for himself, there would be a few critics, who would want him to wait for longer, to attain India berth. But fortunately, chief selector Ajit Agarkar does not feature on that list. While announcing the squad for IRE and ENG, he clarified the rationale behind the selection.
“Vaibhav’s performances almost forced us to pick him. I know he’s young, but two IPL seasons in a row and what he has done at the Under-19 level speak for themselves. We can all see the kind of talent he possesses,” Agarkar had said at the PC. “There will be tougher challenges but he has shown great promise and temperament. We’re all as hopeful as everyone is. He has picked himself through his own performances,” he added.
Cricket
Hardik Pandya ruled out of IND vs ENG ODIs too? Here's what happened before Afghanistan ODIs with MI captain
