Suryavanshi — the baby-faced basher striking fear in bowlers Premium

Suryavanshi — the baby-faced basher striking fear in bowlers

All it took was one shot to make a mark.

When Vaibhav Suryavanshi launched Shardul Thakur for a maximum off his very first ball in the Indian Premier League, Shane Watson, stationed in the commentary box, could not help but admire the first impression of the one-of-a-kind talent.

“My word! What the hell was that?” was Watson’s initial reaction after the 14-year-old deposited the ball into the stand behind the cover region. It was one of many times that jaws dropped, mesmerised by the pocket dynamite’s batting pyrotechnics.

Given the rate at which Suryavanshi is delivering one stunning performance after another to make the cricket world go in awe, it should not come as a surprise if oral and maxillofacial surgeons offer thanks to him in the future. It is ‘business’ for him and them.

On Friday, the thrill-a-minute opener carried on with that business as usual, producing a blistering 175 off just 80 balls to steer India to its sixth under-19 World Cup prize. As the southpaw continued to rise with crunching hits in the final, the English shoulders dropped, its players clueless about what had struck them. It was nothing but the Suryavanshi storm!

The highly-talented teenager led the assault in Harare despite a rare slow start, treating the ‘big boys’ from England with disdain and unleashing shots from the top drawer. The knock was so well-crafted that it made England captain Thomas Rew admit that he and his teammates could not stop scratching their heads.