As India prepare to face Oman in Tuesday’s ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars clash, the buzz around the tournament’s youngest and brightest star has already seeped into the opposition camp – Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Oman’s emerging players, many of whom have followed Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s meteoric rise from afar, admit they are both awestruck and intrigued by how a 14-year-old can hit a cricket ball quite so far – and quite so often.
Suryavanshi arrives in Doha on the back of two blistering performances that have turned the tournament on its head. His sensational 144 off just 42 balls against UAE – featuring 11 fours and 15 sixes – scored at a strike rate of 342.85, the fourth-highest for a T20 century. The 32-ball hundred he reached that day is now the joint-second fastest by an Indian in men’s T20s, matching Rishabh Pant’s 2018 effort. Globally, the innings stands as the joint-fifth fastest century in T20 history. He backed it up with a rapid 45 off 28 balls against Pakistan Shaheens, reinforcing that the UAE knock was no one-off eruption.
For Oman’s youngsters, the challenge of bowling to him is mixed with genuine curiosity. “We’ve only seen Vaibhav Suryavanshi on TV, and now we’ll be playing against him,” said Aryan Bisht in an interview with TimesofIndia.com. “When you’re 14 and you’re able to hit the ball that far, that’s just exceptional talent. It’s something not everybody can do – definitely something I couldn’t do at that age. 14 saal ke ho, kaise maarte ho ye chakke? [At 14, how are you smashing those sixes?] He’s really talented and very good, so I’m really looking forward to playing against him.”
His teammate Samay Shrivastava – who represented Madhya Pradesh before moving to Oman for better cricketing opportunities – echoed the wonder. For him, Tuesday’s match is as much a contest as it is a chance to learn. “It’s a great opportunity to meet him. I just want to know his mindset about cricket,” he said. “He’s only 14 and he’s already doing so well for his cricket and for India. The way he hits those big sixes is extraordinary. I really want to meet him and talk to him.”
India’s teenage sensation has turned a developmental tournament into a showcase of blistering power-hitting, and as Oman get ready for their toughest assignment yet, their players are openly marvelling at the prodigy whose bat speed and fearlessness have redefined expectations for a 14-year-old.