The hype around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only increasing with every passing day and stories from the Rajasthan Royals camp are adding to the excitement surrounding the teenage sensation.
Fans may have already got a taste of his fearless batting in domestic cricket and the IPL but a stunning incident from last year has now come to the fore through one of the most respected voices in cricket.
Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara has recalled the first time he saw Sooryavanshi bat in the Rajasthan Royals nets and what happened left a deep impact on everyone present.
The incident took place ahead of the IPL when Sangakkara was serving as Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket and Rahul Dravid was the franchise’s head coach.
Speaking during Sky Sports Cricket’s coverage of the India-Ireland T20I series, Sangakkara revealed that Sooryavanshi volunteered to face some of Rajasthan Royals’ quickest bowlers in a practice net that most batters preferred to avoid.
‘I first saw Vaibhav when I came in for a two-week period to Guwahati. And I went to the side, there was this tiny, horrible little side net in terms of facing up to the likes of Archer and Sandeep Sharma and all the fast bowlers with new balls, and no one really wanted to bat there. And I saw this, Vaibhav walking [and telling him], ‘I’ll bat.’ New balls on, and I could just hear the sound of his bat, like a gunshot every single time.
‘And I think he just put Archer to the sword; he put Sandeep Sharma to the sword. So much so that at one time, I think Archer stopped and laughed. Because he was bowling quickly, and this 14-year-old kid was just treating him with absolute disdain,’ Sangakkara said.
According to Sangakkara, Sooryavanshi showed absolutely no fear despite facing international-quality fast bowling.
The former Sri Lanka skipper described how the teenager repeatedly struck the ball cleanly and confidently against bowlers known for their pace and experience. His fearless approach even earned a reaction from Jofra Archer, who reportedly stopped during the session and laughed in disbelief at what he was witnessing.
For many inside the Royals setup, it was an early sign that the youngster possessed something special.
The impressive net session convinced Sangakkara almost immediately that Sooryavanshi was ready for the biggest stage.
After watching the youngster dominate the bowlers, Sangakkara shared his thoughts with Rahul Dravid and made it clear that the teenager was capable of playing for the franchise.
‘And that’s when I saw him, and my feedback to Rahul, walking out, was, yeah, ready to play anytime you want him to play. Kid’s just incredible,’ he said.
Despite the growing excitement around him, Sooryavanshi is still waiting for his senior India debut.
The teenager was not included in the playing XI for the opening T20I against Ireland in Belfast, where India suffered a disappointing 34-run defeat while chasing 183.
With the series on the line, attention will once again turn to team selection ahead of the second T20I. However, India may still choose to back their experienced players rather than hand the youngster an immediate opportunity.
If his debut does not come in Ireland, Sooryavanshi could get his chance during India’s five-match T20I series in England next month.
Given his recent exploits, including a record-breaking List A half-century off just 11 balls, the wait for his first India appearance may not be too long.