Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fast-rising reputation as Indian cricket‘s next big thing faced its sternest test in Tuesday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Mumbai Indians, and the 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener came through with flying colours, bossing Jasprit Bumrah – arguably the finest all-format bowler of his generation – with nonchalant aggression.
Sooryavanshi announced his arrival last year with a 35-ball hundred in his debut season and the swashbuckling left-hander was adjudged Player of the Series when India won the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year.
Sooryavanshi’s strike rate of 248.97 in this year’s IPL is second only to Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Rajat Patidar’s 254.83, and his 11 sixes so far have been matched only by Delhi Capitals batter Sameer Rizvi.
His duel with the 32-year-old Bumrah was an enthralling sub-plot of the rain-hit game in Guwahati, reduced to 11 overs a side. From the non-striker’s end, Sooryavanshi watched opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal plunder 22 off Deepak Chahar’s first over, setting the tone.
Anticipation spiked as Bumrah, India’s pace talisman, took the ball for the second over and Sooryavanshi flicked the first delivery over wide long-on for a towering six, drawing a wry smile from Bumrah as he walked back to his mark. Three balls later, the teenager pulled him beyond backward square for another six.
Trent Boult fared worse in the next over as Sooryavanshi launched three sixes in the New Zealander’s first four balls. Shardul Thakur was next to suffer a couple of blows before Sooryavanshi holed out, departing for a 14-ball 39.
Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77 powered Rajasthan to 150-3 and they restricted Mumbai to 123-9 to cement top spot with a third straight win.
“It’s amazing to bat with Vaibhav,” Player of the Match Jaiswal told reporters.
“He hit the first ball for a six and I was like – keep playing your shots. Bumrah is one of the legends, and if he’s scoring off him like this, it’s amazing.
After that, it felt like we could take down the other bowlers. It took pressure off me and I could work on my plans to target someone else.”
(Reuters)
