Sooryavanshi smashed the fastest List A fifty in just 11 balls during his 94-run knock.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has showered praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his explosive knock in the final of the one-day tri-series between India A and Sri Lanka A in Dambulla on Sunday, June 21.
Sooryavanshi hammered an 11-ball fifty on his way to 94 in 29 balls. He was on the verge of equaling the record for fastest List A ton after making the world record for fastest List A fifty. He hammered 10 fours and 8 sixes as the India A team raced to 100 runs in just 6 overs.
His efforts gave India A team a good platform where they scored 377/9 in 50 overs. In response, though Sadeera Samarawickrama and Wanuja Sahan made fifties, Sri Lanka A folded for 311 runs and lost the final by 66 runs. Yash Thakur and Viraj Nigam picked three wickets each for India A.
Chopra pointed out that more seasoned players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Priyansh Arya, and Tilak Varma were undercut by Sooryavanshi.
"What is this kid doing? He is embarrassing everyone a little. He will make everyone feel a little insecure at the start as to how he can play like this, because all of us are playing there only. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Priyansh Arya, and Tilak Varma were also there. It is a very decent India A squad.
However, when this kid starts hitting, it seems like he is at a different level. He reached his fifty with 11 balls. He is breaking List A records for fun, and that too in a final. He scored 94 in the final here, 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final, and you can see the Eliminator against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Qualifier 2 against the Gujarat Titans," Chopra stated on his YouTube channel.
In high-stress games, he said, the Rajasthan Royals (RR) batsman maintains his aggressiveness and doesn't lose faith in his shots.
"As soon as you increase the pressure, this kid shines even more. Such high-risk players are slightly 50-50 when the pressure increases because they realize that there is no tomorrow if they make a mistake. Once that comes to your mind, you change your game a little and become slightly conservative at times, and even if you are not conservative, you don't have full conviction in your shots. He is not feeling the pressure of knockout matches at all," Chopra elaborated.
Sooryavanshi had added 132 runs for the opening wicket with Priyansh Arya, who made 39 off 29 balls.
"For people playing with him, a 15-year-old kid comes and starts hitting, and at times, you feel you can go shoulder to shoulder with him and hit like him. After a while, he makes you realize that you should surrender, as you cannot hit like him. If you have to score runs, stop competing with Vaibhav Suryavanshi," he said.
The expert acknowledged that Sooryavanshi can be erratic at times, but he also said that the day he fires, the left-handed hitter overshadows everyone else.
"If you are unable to compete with a 15-year-old kid, you doff your hat and say that this boy is incredible. The only flip side of that is that he can be slightly inconsistent, which was the case in this series. However, the day he scores runs, he is like a shadow over everyone else," Chopra observed.
Sooryavanshi is likely to make his India senior debut, as he has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series in Ireland and England.