'Not A Slogger!': Sunil Gavaskar marvels at 'extra-ordinarily special' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of Qualifier 2 vs. GT
· Yahoo Sports
'Not A Slogger!': Sunil Gavaskar marvels at 'extra-ordinarily special' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of Qualifier 2 vs. GT originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Sunil Gavaskar called Sooryavanshi's 97 off 29 balls extraordinarily special, not mere slogging.
- He backed the teenager to be picked for India's T20 tour of England immediately.
- Gavaskar predicted that 2026 would be remembered as the year of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Sunil Gavaskar to the critics: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is not a slogger
Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar has hailed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's technique and warned his critics that the 15-year-old is not a slogger following his sensational innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL Eliminator.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Sooryavanshi has now accumulated 680 runs in the current IPL season and sits at the top of the Orange Cap standings. Rajasthan Royals are two wins away from their second IPL title, and the teenager has been the driving force behind their run through the playoffs.
MORE: 'New six machine': How Gayle, Tendulkar, & the world reacted to Vaibhav's carnage vs. SRH
His numbers, a strike rate of 242.85, 65 sixes, and a 29-ball 97 in a knockout game, have silenced most of his doubters. And Gavaskar made sure that the few remaining ones did not get away with their flat-track bully narrative unchallenged.
"Look at what we saw yesterday. Before this, we had also seen a few innings of his, but what we saw yesterday was something completely different. You may call it special, but I would call it very, very extraordinarily special, such was this innings," Gavaskar said on Sportstak.
"When you talk about someone's ability to hit sixes, a picture comes to mind, and before the eyes, of a slogger. He is not a slogger. This kid hits such technically perfect sixes with a straight bat, straight long-off, over the bowler's head, towards long-on.
"When you bowl on a short length, the way he positions himself inside the line and plays those hook and pull shots, the cleanliness of the sixes that is created, clean shots! And such perfection is rarely seen."
MORE: Yousuf faces fans flak for comparing Sooryavanshi to Afridi
Sunil Gavaskar wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in India's T20 team
Gavaskar did not hedge when the conversation moved to international cricket. He said Sooryavanshi is already ready for T20 cricket at the highest level, and expressed a clear hope that he is included in the squad for the upcoming tour of Ireland & England.
“In T20 cricket, he is ready. I hope that he is selected for the T20 squad for the team in England. After this performance, if you don’t give him a spot now, when will you give it to him?” said Gavaskar.
"Don’t look at his age – he is hitting players with international experience twice his age into the stands. Just watch how he is playing, with no fear, how kids play in the gully. When you and I were kids, would we ever play defensive? Same way, Sooryavanshi is batting. I hope that this kid in his style of play never goes away."
MORE: GT vs RR Dream11: Lineups, pitch report and score predictions for IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 match
Gavaskar believes that the experience of being part of an international squad would be invaluable for Sooryavanshi's development.
"The experience he will get from being with the Indian team is priceless," he added. "He’s undoubtedly going to get his debut this year, in England or in Zimbabwe. 2026, he will represent India. 2026 will be remembered as the year of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi."
MORE: Astrology Prediction: Who will win GT vs RR IPL 2026 Qualifier 2?
The Cricket News Opinion: Gavaskar is right and the selectors know it too
The argument against picking Sooryavanshi was always going to be age, never ability. Gavaskar has now made it clear that it is difficult to see how the selectors can justify leaving him out of the England T20 squad after his IPL heroics.
The flat-track bully criticism was always weak, as you do not score 680 runs across a full season, on multiple grounds, against some of the best international bowlers.
Gavaskar's technical analysis of the straight-bat sixes is the most important part of the conversation, because it addresses the root of the scepticism. Sooryavanshi has a sound method and technique, which should help him score big in overseas conditions as well.
To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.