Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrikar After once again impressing for India A in the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka, Vibhu Suryavanshi believes he is proving that he is more than a T20 force.Suryavanshi grabbed eyeballs with a 22-ball 44 against Afghanistan A on Thursday, continuing his meteoric rise after a successful IPL 2026 campaign. While the youngster fell well short of scoring a half-century, his innings praised his run-scoring style rather than the last number to his name.Unlike the often batting-friendly surfaces in the IPL, the conditions in Sri Lanka presented a different challenge. Yet Suryavanshi adapted impressively, relying as much on timing and placement as aggression. His innings included 9 fours and came at a strike rate of 200, notably without a six.The display drew a strong response from Manjrekar, who turned to X to highlight the youngster’s versatility and ability in the longer white-ball format.“India is in ASL, the pitch is not as flat as in IPL and it is not T20 cricket. So seeing Vibhu Suryavanshi in different batting conditions. And I am excited!He is not just your typical T20 slugger. They may even be the trend of a day! Special talent!” Manjrikar posted on X.
Posted by Sanjay Manjrikar
The former India batsman’s comments came after Suryavanshi got India A off to a flying start in the rain-hit contest. Opening with Prabhasmaran Singh, the left-hander added 74 runs for the first wicket in just 7.1 overs, putting Afghanistan A under immediate pressure.This innings also showed another side of Suryavanshi’s game. Instead of relying entirely on brute power, he repeatedly found gaps with crisp strokes and well-timed drives, reinforcing the view that his game could successfully translate beyond T20 cricket.His innings eventually ended on 44 when he tried to ramp up a short ball from Abdullah Ahmedzai and was dismissed behind wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq. It was the second consecutive innings in which a short delivery outside the off-stump got him out.India A nevertheless scored 349 runs for 9 wickets in 49 overs. Prabhasmaran top scored with 84 runs while captain Tilak Verma and vice-captain Rituraj Gaikwad Both hit 66. Suryanesh Shedge then flourished late on with a blistering 40.A rain interruption throughout the day meant that Afghanistan A were given a revised target of 294 in 38 overs under the DLS method. Chasing aggressively, skipper Imran Mir remained unbeaten on 75 while Bahr Shah scored an unbeaten 51 to take Afghanistan to 177 for 2 in 25.5 overs, before play was abandoned due to rain.At that time, Afghanistan ADLS were four runs ahead of the tie score, resulting in a four-run victory after the match ended.
