Former Indian all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhihas lavished praise on Vaibhav Suryavanshi after India marched into the Under-19 World Cup 2026 final on the back of youngster 's brilliance in the semifinal performance against Afghanistan.
In a record-breaking run chase of 311 runs, the highest ever in Under-19 World Cup history, Suryavanshi struck a dynamic 68 off just 33 balls with nine fours and four sixes to set the tone at the top. Sodhi lavished praise on the youngster for thriving under pressure
and changing the complexion of the chase early on.
“He is fabulous. This is a different level of batting. This was a knock played under huge pressure. A target of 311 could have been difficult. Vaibhav Suryavanshi was the key to this run chase. If he plays well, then we’ll win the game, and that’s exactly what happened,” Sodhi said while speaking on JioHotstar’s 'Dil Se India'.
One of the standout aspects of Suryavanshi’s knock, Sodhi pointed out, was his ability to turn even good deliveries into boundaries, something that left bowlers frustrated and fielding units stretched.
“He hits even the good balls for sixes. The bowler would be thinking, where does he bowl to him? When the ball leaves your hand, you think it has come out nicely, pitched in the right spot, swung, but when it hits the bat, it goes straight into the stands. This is what Suryavanshi does, and it will be impossible to stop him in his current form,” he further stated.
Still, Sodhi advised the prodigy to fine-tune his approach for longer formats, suggesting that adding a little more patience could help him convert quick starts into massive scores.
"However, I would urge him to remember it’s a 50-over contest and to take one or two extra balls. He could have scored 150–175 on this pitch the way he was going. But he will learn that. He is slowly becoming a junior Abhishek Sharma, but he is still very young. If he keeps improving, he will go miles and miles ahead,”Sodhi added, drawing a parallel with SRH star Abhishek Sharma.
Suryavanshi’s explosive innings did not just propel India into the final, it sent a clear message to finalists England. With his fearless strokeplay and high strike rate, he’s now firmly on the radar as one of the standout youngsters of the U19 World Cup 2026.
