New Delhi: Vibhu Suryavanshi is just 15 years old, but on Tuesday night in Jaipur, the youngster delivered a knock that even the opposition could only applaud. And when LSG owner Sanjeev Goenka got up to congratulate the young batsman after the match, he had a cheeky comment from the cricket legend. Sunil Gavaskar On Air: “I’ll make a bid for you soon.”The comment, clearly in jest, sums up the impact of Suryavanshi’s 38-ball 93. Rajasthan Royals After defeating Lucknow Supergiants by seven wickets, they reached the brink of the playoffs.The opponent’s owner gives a standing ovation.After the defeat, Goenka was seen interacting with Suryavanshi near the boundary ropes while the youngster signed autographs for the young fans. It was an unusual sight — the owner of the losing side personally congratulating the player who had ended his team’s night.Goenka, joined by head coach Justin Langer, stood to applaud as Suryavanshi walked back seven runs short of a century. By then the contest was effectively over.
Sanjiv Goenka stood to applaud when Suryavanshi walked back seven runs short of a century. (video capture)
Knocked beyond his yearsThe innings did not start in trademark fashion. Suryavanshi reached 11 off his first 12 balls while remaining the stand-in captain. Yeshsavi Jaiswal Ran to the other end. But once set, the young man unleashed chaos.He scored 26 off Akash Singh and followed that up with 29 against Mayank Yadav, before scoring another 43 off just 15 balls before scoring a 23-ball fifty.A slow ball from Mohsin Khan denied him a century, which left the youngster visibly upset. But the Jaipur crowd – and even the applause from the opposition camp – told the bigger story.“I don’t read the papers and all,” Suryavanshi later said with a smile. “This is just the beginning. If I have a long career, many things will be said. I just want to finish my journey by focusing on my game.”Jaiswal perhaps summed it up best. “The way Vaibhav batted, he completely took the game away.
