Scoring Hundreds Not Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 'Style'? Ex-India Star's Stunning Remark: "Doesn't Get To His Head"
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's fearless mindset despite the 15-year-old missing out on a century against Zimbabwe.
- Ex-India opener Wasim Jaffer praised 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's approach to batting
- "We all want him to score big hundreds, but somehow that's not his style," Jaffer said on Sooryavanshi
- "Nice to see that the pressure of the scoreboard or individual milestones doesn't get into his head," he added
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his mark in international cricket for the first time in India's three-match T20I tour of Zimbabwe, slamming two half-centuries with a best score of 81. In the first T20I, Sooryavanshi displayed his naturally aggressive style to slam an 18-ball fifty. In the third T20I, the 15-year-old took his time and eventually teed off, smashing 81 off 49 balls. While Sooryavanshi missed out on a maiden international hundred, former India opener Wasim Jaffer heaped praise on his approach to batting.
"Of course, we all want him to score big hundreds, but somehow that's not his style," Jaffer said on Sooryavanshi, speaking on his YouTube channel.
"He keeps playing his shots and goes for the big hits, and that's also the reason behind his success. It's really nice to see that the pressure of the scoreboard or individual milestones doesn't get into his head. Even today (third T20I), he played some excellent shots, but unfortunately, the catch that dismissed him was absolutely brilliant," Jaffer added.
Jaffer praised the fact that Sooryavanshi does not play for milestones, keeping the team's run-rate his bigger priority at all times.
"He plays absolutely fearless cricket. We saw him in the IPL knockouts as well, where he missed out on two centuries after getting into the 90s. He could have easily played a few more balls and taken singles, but that's just not his nature. That's not how he plays the game, and that's something to like about him," Jaffer elaborated.
"He narrowly missed out on that first century, but he has produced two really good knocks in this series. One of the biggest positives has been him scoring runs. We were already expecting Vaibhav to perform in international cricket, but I think these two innings will boost his confidence even further. Going forward, I feel he'll play with a lot less pressure, and he has been a success story," Jaffer further added.
After scores of 14, 13 and 15 in his first three T20Is in the tour of England, Sooryavanshi came good in the series against Zimbabwe. His 49-ball 81 in the final game helped India wrap up a dominant 3-0 series win. Sooryavanshi took home the 'Player of the Match' and the 'Player of the Series' awards.
India Cricket Team