In recent months, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has transformed from a promising young talent to a major figure in Cricket. At only 14 years old, the Indian batter has earned admiration from many in the sport, including England’s Jos Buttler.
Buttler praised Sooryavanshi, stating he “has to be” the best batsman he has seen. Buttler witnessed Sooryavanshi’s remarkable performance last year when he scored a stunning century against the Gujarat Titans while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, changing the course of the match despite the Titans’ strong total.
Since then, Sooryavanshi’s impressive performances have continued. Late last year, while playing for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh, he became the youngest player to score a List A hundred in men’s cricket, with an incredible 190 off just 84 balls. Earlier this month, in the Under-19 World Cup final, he made headlines again, scoring 175 off 80 balls, eliminating England from the competition.
Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook, along with spinner Phil Tufnell, have voiced their astonishment at Sooryavanshi’s talent.
“I saw Jos Buttler say that he [Sooryavanshi] has got to be the greatest player he has ever seen. He is just 14 and has a List A hundred to his name. He is the youngest cricketer ever to achieve this,” Vaughan said.
Cook shared his admiration for Sooryavanshi’s batting style.
“I didn’t see his T20 hundred, but I saw his other hundred. I was thinking he might just back away and hack it. He has incredible bat speed. He hit a not-so-bad ball over point,” Cook said, referring to the Under-19 World Cup match.
Tufnell humorously suggested that Sooryavanshi could already compete at the highest level.
“Get him in there,” he said.
Cook also noted the strength of Indian cricket, mentioning that even well-known players struggle to secure a spot on the national team. Vaughan added to this observation.
“Shubman Gill also didn’t make that squad. He’s enjoying himself at Arjun Tendulkar’s pre-wedding celebrations. Jaiswal can’t get in either, so they could have easily brought Sooryavanshi into the T20 World Cup without disappointment,” Vaughan concluded.
