Indian cricket has just seen the emergence of its next big star. The 15-year-118-day-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to create a world record, becoming the youngest to score a half-century in T20 International cricket.
The left-hander, aged 18, sent a fearless shot over Zimbabwe in Harare, hitting a 19-ball fifty to put his name on the international radar. Sooryavanshi was a fearless batsman in his first four international appearances, smashing in four fours and four sixes in a thrilling display of clean hitting in his first four senior appearances for India.
India was in pursuit of 126, and the lad made it look like a cakewalk. He powered India to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with 40 balls left to play, providing a good start to the series for India. Sooryavanshi scored his first half-century in international cricket from 19 balls before falling as a victim of Richard Ngarava’s hook. Reuters
This record is even more remarkable because of the age difference. It was the youngest, Louis Bruce, 16 years and 56 days old, of Gibraltar, who had scored 60 runs in 2021 for Malta. Now Sooryavanshi has made over 300 days of that, with his alluring career becoming a fairy tale.
This was no mere cameo. It was a statement. The next generation of Indian cricket is fearless, and a 15-year-old boy entering international cricket, attacking from ball one, is a testament.
The Indian record already being created by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is just the beginning of the fireworks as the IPL rise has made him a present prospect with a world record in Indian colors. Already, he is a historic figure.
