Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Admits Surprise Over His 50-Over Experience

Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a cheeky admission about his credentials in 50-over cricket, saying many people may not even realise how much experience he has in the format. The 15-year-old starred in India A's title-clinching victory over Sri Lanka A on Sunday, smashing a stunning 94 off just 29 balls.

In the process, he registered the fastest List A fifty in history, reaching the milestone in only 11 deliveries. His explosive start helped India A post 377/9 before dismissing Sri Lanka A for 311 to seal a comfortable 66-run victory.

Despite heading into the final after a modest run with the bat and an on-field altercation against the same opposition in the previous game, Sooryavanshi said he never felt under pressure. “I hadn't thought of anything. Just wanted to execute what I planned in the first ten and take it forward from there,” Sooryavanshi said after being named player of the match.

Questions had been raised over the youngster's form and temperament after he managed only 117 runs in four innings during the tournament. But Sooryavanshi revealed that discussions with the coaching staff helped him rediscover his rhythm. Watch: “No pressure. I wasn't executing what I wanted. But after consulting with the coaches, I got it right. Learnt a lot this series,” he said.

Known mainly for his six-hitting exploits in T20 cricket, the left-hander insisted he was equally comfortable in the longer white-ball format. “I've played a lot of 50-over cricket. Not sure people know about it,” he said. “The challenge was to adapt to different conditions, it was nice to take it on.”

India A captain Tilak Varma lauded the team's resilience after bouncing back from consecutive defeats earlier in the competition. “Everyone showed real character. Especially after we lost back-to-back games. Then we won with big margins which was tremendous,” Tilak said. “Everyone has played domestic cricket and has experience. Just a matter of planning before the game. We start big, consolidate and accelerate,” he added.

Sri Lanka A skipper Sahan Arachchige acknowledged the impact of Sooryavanshi's innings. “Sooryavanshi played a brilliant innings. We managed the innings nicely thereon but let it slide in the last two overs,” Arachchige said. “When we are chasing a big score, top order can fall cheaply. It happens. Young guys have played well, seniors have scored too. It's been a good tournament,” he added.