‘More mayhem in 50 overs’ – Sanjay Manjrekar reacts to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s stunning knock in final

India A’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi produced a breathtaking innings in the final against Sri Lanka A, smashing 94 runs off just 28 balls and helping his side post a massive total. The youngster, who had endured a difficult tournament leading up to the summit clash, saved his best performance for the biggest stage and left the cricketing world stunned with his explosive batting display.

Sooryavanshi had struggled for consistency earlier in the series and was also involved in an on-field altercation during a previous match against Sri Lanka A. In that game, India A failed to cross the line in a Super Over, and tensions boiled over after some Sri Lankan players allegedly provoked Sooryavanshi and his batting partner Suryansh Shedge. The incident resulted in the young batter shoving an opponent, drawing criticism from several former cricketers.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar had even suggested that Sooryavanshi should have been dropped from the next match against Afghanistan A as a disciplinary measure. Taking to social media, Manjrekar wrote that if he were the India A coach or manager, he would have left the youngster out to send a message that physical confrontations on the field are unacceptable regardless of the provocation.

However, after witnessing Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary innings in the final, Manjrekar was full of praise. He remarked that the left-hander appeared to view 50-over cricket as a format where he could create even more destruction, especially with only two fielders allowed outside the circle during the first 10 overs.

Sooryavanshi’s knock was historic in more ways than one. He raced to his maiden India A fifty in just 11 deliveries, breaking the previous List A record of a 12-ball fifty set by Kaushalya Weeraratne. His innings featured 10 fours and eight sixes as he dominated the powerplay and put Sri Lanka A under immense pressure from the outset.

India A eventually posted a commanding 377/9 in their 50 overs. Alongside Sooryavanshi’s 94, Tilak Varma contributed 67 runs, while Vipraj Nigam and Anukul Roy added valuable late runs. For Sri Lanka A, Kugathas Mathulan, Ravindu Fernando and Wanuja Sahan picked up two wickets each.

The young opener narrowly missed out on a century and came close to matching the fastest List A hundred record, currently held by Jake Fraser-McGurk, who reached the milestone in just 29 balls in 2023.