At just 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already forced some of the world’s best bowlers to rethink their approach. The young Indian batter has become one of the biggest talking points in world cricket after producing a remarkable list of achievements in a very short time.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been described with terms such as prodigy, wonder boy, teenage sensation and the future of Indian cricket. His rise began making headlines when, at the age of 14, he hit the very first ball of his IPL career for a six.
Since then, the youngster has continued to surprise the cricket world. He became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket history, the youngest player to represent India in international cricket and the youngest player to score a half-century in men’s T20Is. He has also become the fastest Indian to score an IPL century and the youngest ever winner of the IPL Orange Cap. All these achievements have come in just over a year, making his rise even more remarkable considering his age.
One of the biggest features of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s batting is his fearlessness. He appears unfazed by reputations and has taken on some of the world’s leading bowlers without hesitation. Even top names such as Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins have been hit for sixes by the teenager. His impact has been so strong that experienced bowlers have shown their emotions after getting him out, while opponents have been forced to think carefully about how to bowl to him.
So, what is the best way for a bowler to handle a batter who seems to have no fear?
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the answer is simple – attack him.
Harbhajan described Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an extraordinary and unique talent, saying he had never seen a player dominate the game at such a young age. According to him, the fact that some of the world’s best bowlers are already thinking carefully about where to bowl to a 14- or 15-year-old itself shows how special the youngster is.
Harbhajan Singh feels bowlers should not become defensive against Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Instead, they should attack him and focus on getting him out. He admitted that this approach will not always work. A bowler could still be hit for sixes while trying to attack the young batter. However, Harbhajan believes that is part of the game and something bowlers have to accept because of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s quality.
The former India off-spinner also explained how he would have approached the teenager if he were bowling to him. Rather than changing his field according to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s actions, Harbhajan said he would set the field based on his own bowling plan.
For Harbhajan Singh, trying to bowl simply to escape punishment would make it difficult to dismiss Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He would instead keep attacking and look for ways to get his wicket. Even if the plan failed or the batter scored sixes, the focus would remain on creating another opportunity on the next delivery.
With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continuing to make headlines at an age when most cricketers are only beginning to dream of playing at the highest level, bowlers around the world are already searching for answers to one big question: How do you stop a teenager who seems afraid of nobody?
Well, we are certainly proud of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, what about you?
