Sooryavanshi's 29-ball 94 paved the way for India A's title-clinching 66-run victory.
India A opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took the Sri Lanka A bowling attack to the cleaners in the Tri-Nation A series final at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium last Sunday (June 21).
Ahead of the title clash, the 15-year-old was struggling for big runs and had registered modest scores of 14, 44, 21 and 38. He was also under scrutiny for his physical altercation with a Sri Lanka A player during the round-robin stage.
However, the teenager produced his best when it matted the most, smashing 94 off 29 balls with 10 fours and 8 sixes to power India A to a mammoth total of 377/9 and eventually the title-clinching 66-run victory. In the process, he brought up the half-century in just 11 balls – the fastest-ever in List A cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s latest assault on Sri Lanka A bowlers drew rich praise from England wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler.
“He was involved in a heated post-match clash after India A’s Super Over defeat to Sri Lanka A. The 15-year-old exchanged a few words and briefly shoved a Sri Lankan player following reported sledging during the match. So the cricket authority stepped in quickly with warnings and disciplinary reviews following the incident, but he has instantly redeemed himself in the next game," Buttler said on “For the Love of Cricket” podcast.
“In the next game, he hit an 11-ball 50 for India A, the fastest half-century in the history of List A 50-over cricket. So he’s at it again. It’s something we’ve never seen before, and he’s worrying how many records and things he keeps ticking off so quickly,” he added.
India are expected to hand Vaibhav Sooryavanshi his debut cap in the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast on Friday (June 26). If he plays, he will be 15 years and 91 days old, making him younger than Sachin Tendulkar was when he made his international debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.
Sooryavanshi's expected debut comes after a remarkable IPL season with the Rajasthan Royals. He finished as the tournament's highest run-scorer, making 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30.