Stuart Broad, former England pacer, says that he can’t wait to see 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play for the Indian team in the UK later this month. Sooryavanshi has been included in India’s squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England.
India will play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and 28, while the England T20I series, comprising five matches, will begin on July 1. The T20Is will be followed by a three-match ODI series as well.
The second-highest wicket-taker for England in Test cricket, Broad, said that he would get "starstruck" if Sooryavanshi participated in the first match of the T20I series in Durham.
After failing to score in the first four games, Sooryavanshi was under pressure going into the Tri-Nation A Series final. But the young player's beast was unleashed during the sledging fight in the last match against Sri Lanka A, as he slammed 94 off just 29 balls, smashing 10 fours and 8 sixes.
Following the loss in the Super Over, Sooryavanshi got into a furious altercation with Sri Lanka A players prior to the final. The cameras also captured the young player pushing one player away. Broad, however, went crazy over Sooryavanshi, expressing his eagerness to watch the young man light up the stage in the UK.
“He's got it all, hasn't he? He's got it all. He's even getting into sledging now. OK, the cricket's too easy. 11 balls. That's crazy. I'm sure you're probably not hoping, but I'm doing the first T20 up in Durham against India. What's that, July 1st? Wednesday, July 1st? I just hope he plays. I really, I've actually got to be honest, I think I might be starstruck by him,” Broad said on the "For the Love of Cricket" podcast.
“And do you know what? It's not just us buying into the hype. I mean, you've obviously seen him; you've kept to him. I've spent the week with Dinesh Kartik, who's one of the coaches, an assistant coach at RCB. And, of course, I'm like, seriously, what do you think of this guy? He's unbelievable. He's seriously unbelievable. You can't get your head around how good this kid is,” he added.
Broad also stated that UK fans have not seen much of Sooryavanshi and have only heard whispers about his talent, which makes the wait more enticing.
“Obviously, over this side of England, people are just hearing whispers really and seeing great bits of footage. But to hear guys that are seeing him week in, week out, going, This kid's on a different level,” said Broad.
Jos Buttler, who runs the podcast with Broad, agreed with his ex-England teammate and said that it's remarkable to see what Sooryavanshi is managing to achieve at such a young age.
“Listen to this. 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. I'll get a few pushes and shoves in there as well. It's something we've just never seen before. And he's worrying how many records and things he keeps ticking off so quickly. So, yeah, we're going to need to keep him quiet as an England side in those T20s. No, he's a different level. Absolutely. And actually, quite cool,” Buttler said.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has traveled to the UK with his parents, given his age and the fact that it is the first time he is traveling with the Indian team.
