"Not An Ideal Contest": R Ashwin's Stunning Verdict On Vaibhav Suryavanshi's 84-Ball 190
R Ashwin was all praise for Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the youngster slammed a sensational 190 off 84 balls for Bihar in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh.
Former Indian cricket team spinner R Ashwin was all praise for Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the youngster slammed a sensational 190 off 84 balls for Bihar in their Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Arunachal Pradesh. However, he was quick to point out that it was a Plate Group fixture in the competition and not an "ideal contest." Bihar looked in devastating form as they scored 574/6-the highest-ever team total in List A cricket-with Vaibhav bringing up his century in just 36 balls. Ashwin pointed out the huge gap in quality between certain teams in the Plate Group and said that although the 14-year-old's knock was quite impressive, the quality of the opposition made it "not so ideal."
"Huge applause for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. But I again want to ask a question. There is a huge divide-chalk and cheese-in terms of quality with some teams. It becomes very lopsided with some teams and there is no contest at all. It is not an ideal contest," Ashwin said on YouTube.
"Credit to Vaibhav; if you get a big score in your neighborhood, it is still a big score. A double hundred is a double hundred, anywhere. If we are serious about teams like Arunachal Pradesh becoming good sides, what will this do to their confidence?" he added.
Ashwin was also all praise for Ishan Kishan, who was recently included in India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. Kishan smashed a 33-ball hundred to score 125 off 39 deliveries for Jharkhand against Karnataka.
"Everyone goes through good and bad times, but Ishan Kishan had a challenging time. He came in and then was out of the team; he took a break. He made a double hundred in one-dayers but never made a comeback. He scored a hundred in the IPL but then did not have a great IPL. He played well in the SMAT and, in the run-up to events, got into the T20 World Cup squad. Now he is batting in the middle-order slot in the VHT and scored a 33-ball hundred. It shows what confidence and form can do to a person when time aligns. He has not waited saying his time will come; he has put in that effort."
Ravichandran Ashwin