Vaibhav Sooryavanshi let his bat do the talking against Sri Lanka A at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Sunday. The tri-nation series final witnessed India A defeating the hosts, Sri Lanka A, by 66 runs, with Sooryavanshi bagging the Player of the Match.
The 15-year-old, set to make his India debut in the T20 format later this month, smashed a breathtaking 29-ball 94 and, in the process, broke the List A record with an 11-ball fifty, setting the tone for India A’s 66-run win in the summit clash.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Sooryavanshi said there was ‘no pressure’ on him in the final despite a scratchy run in the tournament. He trusted his plans and returned to his natural game to deliver a match-winning performance against
Sri Lanka A on Sunday.
“I hadn’t thought of anything. Just wanted to execute what I planned in the first ten and take it forward from there,” Sooryavanshi said after being named player of the match.
His stunning assault all but decided the contest within the first 10 overs, much like his 80-ball 175 against England during India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
Sooryavanshi’s early fireworks powered India A to 132 in just nine overs and, despite a middle-order slowdown, the side still posted a daunting 377/9 before bowling out Sri Lanka A for 311 in 47.1 overs.
The final came against the same opposition India A had lost to in a Super Over in their previous outing, a match that also saw Sooryavanshi involved in an on-field altercation with Sri Lankan players.
That episode, coupled with a modest run of scores in the tournament (117 from four innings), had put both his batting and temperament under scrutiny after a record-breaking IPL season in which he smashed 72 sixes.
The flamboyant left-hander often failed to convert starts and looked scratchy on slower surfaces. But Sooryavanshi said he never felt under pressure.
“No pressure. I wasn’t executing what I wanted. But after consulting with the coaches, I got it right. Learnt a lot this series,” he said.
Known largely for his T20 exploits so far, Sooryavanshi said he was comfortable in the 50-over format and enjoyed the challenge of adapting to different conditions.
“I’ve played a lot of 50-over cricket. Not sure people know about it,” he said. “The challenge was to adapt to different conditions; it was nice to take it on.”
(With PTI Lines)
