"Runs Were Not Coming": How Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Bounced Back To Smash 29-Ball 94 In Final
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a blazing 94 off 29 balls as India A beat Sri Lanka A in the tri-nation series final.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 94 runs off 29 balls in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka-A
- India-A defeated Sri Lanka-A by 66 runs in the tri-series decider
- Sooryavanshi discussed his form struggles with coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar before the final
When it comes to finals, one can easily expect Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to step up and deliver. The 15-year-old, who had had a disappointing campaign until the final, decided to rise to the occasion and guide the Indian team to glory against Sri Lanka-A in the final on Sunday. Sooryavanshi ended up hitting 94 runs off just 29 balls as India-A beat the islanders by 66 runs in the tri-series decider. After the game, Sooryavanshi admitted that runs had not been coming from his bat, which prompted him to have an important conversation with his coach.
According to a report in Sportstar, Sooryavanshi and India-A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar had an honest chat about the teenage opening batter's struggles. This was when Kanitkar asked him to shun the outside noise and not think about it, as he looked to bounce back after a string of mediocre performances.
"When runs were not coming, I sat down with Hrishi sir to discuss a few things, and he gave me a free hand to play freely," Sooryavanshi told Sportstar.
"That's when he told me, 'Tu apna natural game khel, zyada soch mat' (play your natural game and don't think too much about anything else). That motivated me, and I continued to back myself, and I'm happy that things worked out well," he added.
In comparison to the IPL, where the pitches were batting-friendly, Sooryavanshi had to adapt quite a lot in Sri Lanka. The teenager admitted that the pitches were challenging in the island nation, prompting him to try "too hard", which did not work in his favour.
"These conditions were slightly different, so it threw up some challenges initially. I was trying too hard but wasn't able to execute the plans," he said.
Sooryavanshi's next assignment is the T20I tour of Ireland, where he is expected to make his India debut. The 15-year-old was named in the India senior team for the first time, thanks to an exemplary IPL season where he scored 776 runs for the Rajasthan Royals.
Sri Lanka A