Former England cricketers Michael Vaughan, David Lloyd, Alastair Cook, Alex Hartley, and Phil Tufnell had a thorough discussion on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the 15-year-old batting prodigy’s rapid rise. Sooryavanshi, who announced his arrival in style with a century on his IPL debut last season, is one of the top run-getters in the ongoing season and even held the Orange Cap momentarily. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Vaughan and Tufnell backed the Rajasthan Royals batter to make his senior India debut during the upcoming tour of Ireland after the IPL.
In fact, Vaughan even claimed that if he were a selector, he would have picked Sooryavanshi for the white-ball tour of England later this year.
Former England women’s team spinner Alex Hartley reflected on the “lovely arrogance” in Sooryavanshi’s game, adding that the teenager is unfazed by the pressure of facing some of the most daunting bowlers in world cricket at the moment.
Vaughan concluded the segment by claiming that Sooryavanshi’s dominance has overshadowed his opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Here’s the entire conversation from the latest episode:
Vaughan: Sooryavanshi… 246 runs, average of 41, striking at 236.
Lloyd: Shouldn’t he be at school? You can’t leave school.
Vaughan: I don’t think he’s at school, Dave. I reckon he’s going to go on that T20 trip to Ireland. Isn’t he? I would have him in the squad for the England series this summer.
Tufnell: Why not? Why wouldn’t he?
Cook: Does he have a passport?
Vaughan: If he was 20… just because he’s 15, you’re like ‘Oh, we’ve got to be careful’. Jasprit Bumrah ran in, and he just flicked him into the stands for a six.
Hartley: It’s almost like these young kids who grow up these days have this lovely arrogance. They don’t feel the pressure are like, ‘I’ll just go and play the game’. And I love it when he just comes in and goes like, ‘Alright! Jofra Archer… bang’. See you later. Why would you not pick him?
Vaughan: The new T20 opener is him. Even Jaiswal has been playing great at the other end. But at times, Sooryavanshi has made him look ‘just ok’. And he’s outstanding.
Featured Video Of The Day
Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans
Topics mentioned in this article