Team India opener and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stated that he batted just the way he plays in T20 Cricket in the three-match series in Zimbabwe. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi described his success in the series as a dream-come-true moment.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Match in the third T20I in Harare on Sunday, July 26, for his blazing knock of 81 off 49 balls, which featured eight fours and four sixes. The 15-year-old was also named the Player of the Series for scoring 151 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 196.10.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reflects on his batting heroics
Speaking after India’s 3-0 series triumph in Zimbabwe, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi reflected on his impressive performance. Speaking via Cricbuzz, he commented, “Yes, it’s truly a dream come true moment. Getting my first Man of the Match and Man of the Series Awards, I am very happy. My game is the same as what I play in T20 cricket. I was just trying to do that for the team. In all three matches, I tried to give the team a good start. If I got a good start, then I wanted to make the innings bigger. That was my only approach.”Â
When asked about his improvement in his range of strokes, the teenage sensation added, “The shots that I play are the same ones I practise. I just try to replicate in the match whatever I do in the practice sessions.”Â
For the record, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kicked off the series in Zimbabwe with 50 off 19 balls, hitting four fours and as many sixes. In the second T20I on Saturday, the opener played a quick-fire cameo of 20 in nine balls.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on his love affair with Harare Sports Club
Even before the three-match series against Zimbabwe, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had enjoyed some success in Harare. Earlier this year, he scored 68 in the U-19 World Cup semifinal and hammered a sensational 175 in the final. Speaking about his success in Harare, the 15-year-old admitted, “It felt really good. Our preparation was very good during the two or three days after we arrived in Harare. I also played the Under-19 World Cup here, so everyone backed me- the captain, the coaches, everyone- so I’m very happy.”
By registering scores of 50 and 81 in the three-match series in Harare, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became the first player in men’s international cricket with multiple scores of 50 or more before turning 16.
It will be interesting for all of us to see how Vaibhav steps up and carries forward in this journey after this series. India won’t play T20Is now for quite a while and will have a bit of a break till September. The Indian Test team will play in mid-August in Sri Lanka, but the T20 team may have some small series against Afghanistan or Bangladesh next. So, a bit of a breather for Vaibhav and the T20 stars.
It will be a good time for Vaibhav to reflect on his game and see where he stands at this stage and how he can keep evolving. There is no doubt he is a generational talent and must be treated with care. He needs to have the right coaches around him and ones who can guide him properly through this phase because he is still a kid at this stage. He needs constant monitoring, through which we will be sure that success does not get to his head.
Vaibhav should be given opportunities in T20 cricket and backed to the hilt, even if he fails, as dropping him after 2-3 low scores won’t do justice to his talent. So, he must be carefully dealt with, and once the next T20I series starts, we will see how he goes, as the Asian Games are also around the corner, which will be at the end of September in T20 format.