Extraordinary. Prodigy. Boy wonder. Precocious. Future of Indian cricket. Teenage sensation.
These are among the countless adjectives used to describe Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – the 15-year-old batting sensation
who has, arguably, become the most talked-about cricketer in the world ever since his IPL debut last year.
Since stunning the cricket world by swatting the very first ball of his IPL career for a six at the age of 14, Sooryavanshi has continued to conjure magic on the cricket field with his extraordinary feats. He is the youngest centurion in the history of men’s T20 cricket, the youngest player to play international cricket for India, the youngest half-centurion in men’s T20Is, fastest Indian to score an IPL century, youngest-ever winner of the IPL’s Orange Cap and more.
He has achieved all this and more in a period of just over a year and, more importantly, at a scarcely believable young age.
Sooryavanshi seems to have no fear, nor does he care about anyone’s reputation. He has smacked world-class bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, for sixes without blinking an eyelid.
Such has been his impact that bowlers like Kyle Jamieson have celebrated his dismissals animatedly. He has made experienced opponents think – a testament to his extraordinary talent.
So how does a bowler prepare for, or survive, someone who has absolutely no fear?
Harbhajan Singh has a suggestion: Attack.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is extraordinary. He is a unique player. I have not seen a player like him before, one who can dominate the world at 14-15 years of age,” Harbhajan told PTI.
“When the world’s top bowlers are bowling to him, they are actually thinking about where to bowl. That itself is a big, big statement. The only way to survive is to attack him. You go at him and you take his wicket,” he added.
It’s a strategy that Harbhajan believes may not consistently yield positive results, but he feels it’s much better than being defensive.
“It may not work all the time. Sometimes you might even get smashed. He would’ve hit sixes. But that is part of the game. You have to accept that he’s good,” the former India offspinner said.
Harbhajan, one of the greatest spinners to have played the game, also revealed how he would have dealt with Sooryavanshi if he were to face the youngster.
“I won’t set the field according to what he’s doing. I’ll set the field according to what I’m doing. If I bowl to escape, I won’t be able to get him out. You go at him and you take his wicket. You might get success, you might not. That’s just a matter of time. You have to accept that he’s good. But still, the next ball should be about how to get him out,” Harbhajan said.
