NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only 15, but on Tuesday night in Jaipur, the teenager produced a knock so breathtaking that even the opposition could only applaud. And when LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka walked up to congratulate the young batter after the match, it prompted a cheeky remark from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar on air: “I will be bidding for you soon.”The comment, clearly in jest, summed up the impact of Sooryavanshi’s 38-ball 93 as Rajasthan Royals crushed Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets and moved to the brink of the playoffs.Rival owner joins standing ovationAfter the defeat, Goenka was seen chatting with Sooryavanshi near the boundary ropes while the teenager signed autographs for young fans. It was an unusual sight — an owner of the beaten side personally congratulating the player who had all but ended his team’s night.Goenka, joined by head coach Justin Langer, stood to applaud when Sooryavanshi walked back after falling seven runs short of a century. By then, the contest was effectively over.
Sanjiv Goenka stood to applaud when Sooryavanshi walked back after falling seven runs short of a century. (Video grab)
A knock beyond his yearsThe innings did not begin in trademark fashion. Sooryavanshi crawled to 11 from his first 12 deliveries while stand-in captain Yashasvi Jaiswal raced away at the other end. But once set, the teenager unleashed chaos.He smashed 26 runs off an over from Akash Singh and followed it with 29 against Mayank Yadav, racing to a 23-ball fifty before adding 43 more in just 15 deliveries.A slower ball from Mohsin Khan denied him a hundred, leaving the youngster visibly distraught. But the applause from the Jaipur crowd — and even the opposition camp — told the bigger story.“I don’t read papers and all,” Sooryavanshi said afterwards with a smile. “This is just the start. If I have a long career, a lot of things will be said. I just want to focus on my game and complete my journey.”Jaiswal perhaps summed it up best. “The way Vaibhav batted, he absolutely killed the game. We said one of us should bat till the end — and he killed the game.”
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