Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals\u2019 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\u2014even 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.<\/p>\n
Ashwin shared his views while speaking on JioHotstar\u2019s The Ravichandran Ashwin Experience<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2014especially the current generation\u2014being comfortable against spin when bowlers follow familiar lengths and lines.<\/p>\n He said it was a \u201ctactical\u201d 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\u2014something 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\u2019s wicket. He then compared that experience to Sooryavanshi\u2019s response, saying he tried to beat the teenager in flight by pulling the length back to tempt him.<\/p>\n 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, \u201cWow, this is one hell of a player.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019t 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Beyond the IPL, Sooryavanshi\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n At the U19 World Cup this year, Sooryavanshi finished as the tournament\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Ashwin\u2019s praise aligns with those big-stage displays: Sooryavanshi smashed a competition-record 30 sixes in the U19 World Cup, surpassing Dewald Brevis\u2019s 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\u2019s history.<\/p>\n He is also India\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals\u2019 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, highlighting how the youngster plays with a cool, calculated mindset and shows little…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":8382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ashwin Praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for IPL Red-Ball Craft","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ravichandran Ashwin backs Rajasthan Royals teen Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, praising his calm batting and urging more red-ball cricket to sharpen skills.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom debut audacity to tactical growth<\/h2>\n
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Sooryavanshi\u2019s numbers across formats<\/h2>\n
U19 World Cup fireworks and red-ball contrast<\/h2>\n