Success can be a magnet for attention—and for criticism. Pakistan’s cricket analyst Nauman Niaz, known for outspoken and often controversial takes, has now turned his focus to India’s latest batting sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Niaz’s comments arrived only hours after the 15-year-old struck a second IPL century, and they were framed as an allegation rather than simple scepticism. He claimed the teenager may be using an AI-based device inside his bat to generate extra power, urging authorities to inspect the equipment and test it in a laboratory.
Quick scan: what Niaz claimed
- Nauman Niaz suggested Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should have his bat checked.
- He argued the youngster could be using an AI chip in his bat to add power.
- Niaz compared the idea to anti-doping testing and called for lab-style verification.
- He also said Sooryavanshi seemed “a tad slow” and that his physique at 16 looked different from typical muscle development at 18.
Speaking on a show titled SmashHit, Niaz said, “Think about it. What is this kid? Get his bat checked.” He went on to call for a process similar to WADA’s dope-testing approach, adding that the player “probably used an AI chip in his bat.”
He then backed his doubts with his own observations, saying he felt Sooryavanshi was playing slightly slowly at times. Niaz also drew a comparison between age and physical development, stating that at 18 a body typically builds muscle groups like biceps and triceps, while Sooryavanshi, he claimed, appeared to have less than what he expected for that stage.
In the same breath, Niaz tried to explain the source of Sooryavanshi’s impact through skill rather than brute strength. He described the youngster as a wrist-driven batter and said Sooryavanshi’s shot selection showed a full 360-degree arc, pointing to technique as a major part of his threat.
Whatever the noise, the charge doesn’t align with what has been seen on the field in terms of rule-breaking—because Sooryavanshi’s rise has been built on performance. At just 15, he has captured global cricket interest and piled up record after record.
Two IPL centuries in quick succession
Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he was close to the fastest-ever IPL hundred, needing 78 off 26 balls, only to fall short by a narrow margin. Yet the near-miss didn’t dent his momentum.
After scores of 0 and 8 in the next stretch, with a 46 in between, Sooryavanshi returned to form and completed his century off 37 deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.
His latest surge has also placed him among the leading run-getters in the tournament. In the Orange Cap standings, Sooryavanshi is giving stiff competition to established names including KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Abhishek Sharma.
With 357 runs from eight matches, Sooryavanshi currently sits second, supported by two fifties and one hundred. Rahul is third, Heinrich Klaasen is fourth, Shubman Gill fifth, and Kohli sixth. The race has been heavily shaped by Indian batters, and Klaasen is the only overseas player inside the top 10 at present.
In roughly a year, Sooryavanshi has managed what many budding Indian talents take much longer to achieve. He has already produced centuries in England, Australia, and South Africa, and he also won the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year in January.
With an India call-up now the remaining milestone, the trajectory suggests the spotlight will only intensify. If his progression keeps matching his form, there is plenty of reason to believe June could be a major turning point in his international journey.
