Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, highlighting how the youngster plays with a cool, calculated mindset and shows little to no hesitation when facing top-class pace and spin—even at such a tender age. The former India off-spinner also urged that the left-hander should spend time in red-ball cricket to round out his overall game.
Ashwin shared his views while speaking on JioHotstar’s The Ravichandran Ashwin Experience. He pointed to the impact Sooryavanshi made from the start of his IPL journey, noting that the teenager arrived with fearless intent rather than nerves.
From debut audacity to tactical growth
- Sooryavanshi made his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants, launching Shardul Thakur for a massive first-ball six to kick off his campaign.
- Ashwin also referenced that Sooryavanshi’s half-century versus Chennai Super Kings at Delhi was part of the context around his rise, and said it was his last IPL wicket.
- Since then, the Rajasthan batter has developed into a more aggressive and composed performer, taking on elite bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Marco Jansen, and Arshdeep Singh.
- Ashwin stressed that Sooryavanshi’s approach involves attacking from the earliest deliveries, often choosing to hit fours and sixes rather than waiting for a safer moment.
- He added that the youngster has shown the ability to adjust quickly even mid-delivery, demonstrating awareness and decision-making at high pace.
In his discussion, Ashwin explained the kind of planning that goes into dismissing batters like Sooryavanshi, describing how the game has evolved with modern hitters—especially the current generation—being comfortable against spin when bowlers follow familiar lengths and lines.
He said it was a “tactical” battle and outlined his thought process: with Gen Z batters often swatting spinners off their usual lengths, he planned to bowl slightly fuller while bringing drift—something he associated with off-spinners. He suggested that if the batter sees an angle that resembles a wide line, he might expect it, but Ashwin would instead steer the ball toward the pads with turn. That plan, Ashwin said, helped him get Sanju Samson’s wicket. He then compared that experience to Sooryavanshi’s response, saying he tried to beat the teenager in flight by pulling the length back to tempt him.
Ashwin added that while Sooryavanshi was initially beaten, the youngster still adjusted mid-swing and played a reverse sweep toward mid-on. Ashwin summed it up with admiration, saying he thought, “Wow, this is one hell of a player.”
Importantly, Ashwin also warned against piling pressure on the youngster. He felt that at 14, hesitation or obvious errors might be expected against major bowlers, but Sooryavanshi hasn’t shown that. The spinner said the youngster appears to read the game and execute with a dangerous blend of skill, power, tactical awareness, and clarity under pressure. Ashwin’s message was simple: keep the workload and expectations sensible, let him grow through his natural cricket journey, and also try red-ball cricket to develop further.
Sooryavanshi’s numbers across formats
On current form, Sooryavanshi is the fifth-highest run-scorer of the season and the leading batter for Rajasthan Royals, with 404 runs in 10 innings. He has that tally at an average of 40.40 and a strike rate of 237.64, including one century and two fifties.
In 17 IPL matches so far, he has accumulated 656 runs at an average of 38.58 and a strike rate of 224.65. His IPL record includes two centuries and three fifties, with a best score of 103.
Beyond the IPL, Sooryavanshi’s limited-overs dominance continues. In 28 T20 matches, he has scored 1,105 runs at 40.92 with a strike rate of 215.39, featuring four centuries and three fifties. His highest score in the format is 144.
He has also contributed in List-A cricket, posting 353 runs in eight innings at an average of 44.12 and a strike rate of 164.95. That run haul includes one century and one fifty, with a top score of 190.
U19 World Cup fireworks and red-ball contrast
At the U19 World Cup this year, Sooryavanshi finished as the tournament’s second-highest run-getter. He amassed 439 runs across seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49, delivering one century and three fifties, with a best score of 175.
Ashwin’s praise aligns with those big-stage displays: Sooryavanshi smashed a competition-record 30 sixes in the U19 World Cup, surpassing Dewald Brevis’s 18 sixes from the 2022 edition by a wide margin. He also holds the U19 World Cup record for the most sixes in the tournament’s history.
He is also India’s leading run-scorer in U19 ODIs, with 1,412 runs from 25 innings at 56.48. His strike rate is above 165, with four centuries and seven fifties, plus a best score of 175.
However, Ashwin highlighted a clear difference when it comes to red-ball cricket. In that format, Sooryavanshi has 207 runs in eight matches and 12 innings, averaging 17.25, including one fifty.
