Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Rihan, India Under-19 World Cup captain right nowThe prodigious talent has been rewarded with a spot in the national side for tours of Ireland and England and an appearance at July-September’s Asian Games. The selection committee had one of its easiest jobs in picking the 18-year-old, as chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained.
Agarkar felt that the way Sooryavanshi has performed, the results have made it impossible for selectors not to hand him a maiden senior India call-up. He has never failed to hit the ground running when it comes to big moments – that narrative is far from just a flash in the pan for the youngster.
The right-handed tormentor first came into the limelight last season, but he took it to an even higher level in the recently-concluded IPL. Sooryavanshi really shone through as one of the stars of this edition of the IPL – in his only second season with him. He ended up being the winner of the Orange Cap, accumulating a mind-boggling 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of more than 230.
It was his fire-work like batting that helped Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs. On multiple occasions, the teen managed to redeem his team from dire straits and singlehandedly won them matches with his belligerent batting style. His capacity to win a match in as few as 20 or so balls, transformed him into one of the most dangerous batsmen in the league.
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Suaravanesh was fulling of praises on Sooryavanshi for his talent but also where he’s at temperamentially. In a tournament as competitive as the IPL, that’s tough for any player to do consistently, let alone a teenager taking on seasoned international bowlers. But Sooryavanshi rose to the occasion and showed a maturity well beyond his years.
The selectors feel that Indian cricket has unearthed a special talent who they can be like Sachin in future at the highest levels. There is surely more pressure on the young player to deliver but his inclusion feels less like a punt on potential and more of an acknowledgment for hard work that has been rewarded with performances.
Fans throughout the nation will be keen to see if young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can carry some of his domestic success to the international level when he dons the Indian jersey for the very first time.