A special report on the BBC analysed every aspect of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s game. They spoke at length with coaches and former players from England and India to understand how a 15-year-old brings his bat down from a high back-lift to connect with the ball at such speed.
The last time the cricket world had seen such a stroke-maker with that kind of a high back-lift was when Brian Charles Lara, Sooryavanshi’s idol, was producing masterpieces for the West Indies.
But even the legendary West Indian left-handed batsman needed time to hit top gear at the highest level, delivering his first great knock after he turned 23.
Watching Sooryavanshi bat, on the other hand, defies belief that he is still only 15. When he starts hitting the world-class bowlers for fun, it feels like he has been playing the IPL for 15 years.
The boy from Bihar proved his first-season heroics for Rajasthan Royals by scoring a stunning 35-ball hundred was no fluke with incredible consistency and shot-making this season.
To put things in perspective, Virender Sehwag, one of the most destructive openers the world has ever seen, hit 106 sixes in his 104-match IPL career.
Since making his debut last year at the age of 14, Sooryavanshi has hit 61 sixes — more than half of Sehwag’s tally — in just 17 IPL innings.
Legendary Indian batsman Dilip Vengsarkar finds such numbers abnormal for someone who is still only 15.
A former chairman of the Indian selection committee, Vengsarkar, said he would not hesitate to give the youngster his first India cap.
“Why not? He has been consistently outstanding in the IPL, where he is up against some of the best bowlers in the world. He certainly deserves an opportunity to be part of the Indian team now,” Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times.
Age, Vengsarkar said, should never be a factor if an incredibly talented youngster starts making runs consistently.
“If a player is exceptionally talented, age should not matter. He has already proved that he is a very special young cricketer through consistent performances. So what if he is only 15? Sachin Tendulkar was breaking records in first-class cricket at 14 and 15, which is why he was picked for India at 16,” Vengsarkar said.
The former Indian captain hoped that the current selectors would not adopt a conservative approach while making a decision on Sooryavanshi.
“If they (selectors) think Vaibhav should spend two more years in domestic cricket before being considered, then you are effectively wasting two valuable years of his cricket,” he said.
Remarkably, Vengsarkar earned the India cap at the age of 19 after his stunning hundred against legendary Indian spinners, Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna, in a high-profile domestic match, caught the selectors’ eye.
More than three decades later, when he was the chief selector, Vengsarkar fast-tracked a 19-year-old Virat Kohli into the senior Indian team.
“I picked Virat when he was 19 because he was already so good. Some players are mentally strong even in their teenage years,” he said.
“Sachin and Virat were mature enough to handle international cricket at a very young age, and I see the same qualities in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Apart from his incredible talent, he appears mentally very strong for someone so young.”
India are scheduled to play five T20 International on their England tour in July.
With Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan forming the top three, Sooryavanshi faces a stiff challenge to break into the Indian team.
But Vengsarkar feels picking him in the squad will be a great learning experience for Sooryavanshi.
“I would definitely pick him, and when the opportunity comes, give him the first cap. He deserves it,” Vengsarkar said.
“Look, he is an outstanding talent. In this format of the game, it all about how well you score in the first six overs, and this is something he has been doing so consistently well in the IPL against top-class bowlers,” Vengsarkar said.
“And don’t forget he is the product of the T20 era. In the old days, coaches trained young boys differently. The emphasis was on developing skills, sound technique and the temperament required to build an innings. Youngsters were rarely encouraged to hit the ball in the air.
“But coaching methods have changed completely in the T20 era. Today, the focus is on power-hitting, clearing the ropes consistently and how far you can hit the ball. And this is something Vaibhav does so well.”
Source: Khaleej Times