In only his third international assignment, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi lived up to his billing and walked away as India’s Player of the Series in their 3-0 win over Zimbabwe on Sunday.
After becoming the youngest international batter to slam a half-century in the opening T20I of the series, Sooryavanshi notched up another gear on Sunday, scoring a 49-ball 81 on the back of eight fours and four sixes. India eventually secured a 35-run win to wrap up the series, with Sooryavanshi’s batting remaining a standout in the series.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer lavished praise on Sooryavanshi’s ability to bat freely without the pressure of milestones setting in on his batting.
“Of course, we all want him to score big hundreds, but somehow that’s not his style. 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, he played some excellent shots, but unfortunately, the catch that dismissed him was absolutely brilliant.”
“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.”
After an indifferent start to his international career in England earlier this month with scores, 13, 14 and 15, Sooryavanshi was dropped for a match before marking a successful return in Zimbabwe.
“He (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) played two outstanding innings, and even today it looked like he might go on to score his maiden hundred. 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,” said Jaffer.