Anura Tennekoon expressed his admiration for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's six-hitting ability.
At just 15 years old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi orchestrated the most statistically explosive Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign. He became the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner in the 2026 season, piling up 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30 and hitting 72 sixes, while sweeping an unprecedented five major individual awards.
While Sooryavanshi’s IPL form was fairytale stuff, his transition to the one-day tri-nation A series in Sri Lanka has been a humbling learning curve, posting modest scores of 14, 44, and 21 in first three outings.
In the previous game against Sri Lanka A, the teenage batting sensation found himself at the centre of chaos following a dramatic Super Over, where he lost his cool after being sledged and pushed a Sri Lanka A player.
In the aftermath of the ugly altercation, former Sri Lanka skipper Anura Tennekoon waited almost an hour to counsel the young India A opener, urging him to "cut out the outside noise".
Sooryavanshi touched Tennekoon’s feet before the latter pulled him in for a hug, and the duo then shared a brief conversation.
“You focus on your game and cut out the outside noise,” Tennekoon told Sooryavanshi, as quoted by Sportstar. “Today, unfortunately, you couldn’t get going. But that’s part of the game, you can’t get going every day.”
Hailing Sooryavanshi as a ‘generational talent’, Tennekoon also expressed his admiration for the wonder kid’s six-hitting ability.
"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," the 79-year-old said.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be back in action on June 17 for India A's final league match of the one-day tri-nation A series against Afghanistan A. The fixture will be held at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.