Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has lavished praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after India registered a six-wicket win in the third T20I at the Hnry Stadium, Wellington on Tuesday. Sooryavanshi, who batted at one down in the second game, was promoted to his natural opening position in the run chase of 199.
The youngster scored a blistering knock of 45 runs off just 19 balls as he batted at the top of his game. He added 118 runs in the Powerplay overs with Abhishek Sharma, which is now the most by a full-member ICC team.
Sooryavanshi and Abhishek added 133 runs off just 43 balls as the New Zealand bowlers were taken to the cleaners.
“He has got a smart cricketing brain. He has got the exuberance of youth. He is not overawed. He likes to take the attack to the opposition. We have seen that time and time again in the IPL,” Ravi Shastri said on Sony Sports.
The former Indian all-rounder highlighted that Sooryavanshi is a power-hitter, like Abhishek Sharma.
“Like Abhishek (Sharma), he is a powerful striker. He clears that front leg, can go both sides, and even that shot (six over point) – that’s terrific bat speed for the ball to go that far into the crowd,” Shastri observed.
Sooryavanshi once again got off the mark by hitting Jacob Duffy for a first-ball boundary and Shastri praised the youngster’s positive mindset.
“It’s the self-belief. His idea is, ‘How can I hit a boundary or a six early on?’ He is not thinking of singles or blocking the ball. If it’s in his arc or in his range, he is going to smack it,” he responded.
Shastri noted that the youngster is ruthless if the bowlers give him any room to free his arms.
“Front foot or back foot, you give him room, he is lethal, and he has got the confidence and the power to clear fences even though he is 15 years of age,” Shastri observed.
The fourth T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, on Friday.
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