‘He is fearless’: Shreyas Iyer praises Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after record-breaking blitz against Zimbabwe | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Captain India Shreyas Iyer reserved special praise for teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the 15-year-old produced a stunning match-winning knock to power India’s seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening T20I in Harare on Thursday.Sooryavanshi smashed 50 off just 19 balls, bringing up his maiden international half-century off just 18 deliveries as India chased down 126 in just 13.2 overs. The left-hander’s explosive innings also saw him become the youngest player in men’s international cricket to score a fifty, surpassing a record previously held by Nepal’s Kushal Malla. After the emphatic win, Iyer was full of praise for the teenager’s fearless approach.“He is fearless, the way he approaches the innings is amazing. He has a lot of confidence when he steps onto the field,” Iyer said after registering his first win as India’s T20I captain.
A perfect answer after a quiet tour of England
Sooryavanshi’s international career began quietly earlier this month during India’s tour of England, where scores of 14, 13 and 15 saw him dropped for the final T20I as India lost the series.However, a return to Harare Sports Club – where he blasted 175 off just 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final earlier this year – proved to be the perfect stage for the youngster to announce himself.ALSO READ: Sooryavanshi’s emotional ‘A’ celebration steals hearts after historic world-record fifty – WatchAfter taking four deliveries to settle, Sooryavanshi launched a spectacular counterattack. He hammered four boundaries and four towering sixes, dismantling the Zimbabwean bowling attack with a fearless display of strokeplay.His innings effectively ended the competition within the Powerplay in the past Richard Ngarava eventually he was dismissed one ball after he reached his half-century.Ishan Kishan (35) and captain Iyer (28 not out) then completed the chase with ease.
Iyer celebrates first win as India captain
The win also marked a significant personal milestone for Iyer, who finally tasted success after enduring a tough start to his tenure as India’s T20I captain.Having lost all seven of his previous matches in charge during the tour of Ireland and England, the 31-year-old celebrated his first victory as skipper in style.Iyer praised his bowlers and batters for executing the team’s plans perfectly.“Extraordinary. They are extraordinary in their execution. Couldn’t be happier to get my first win,” he said.The captain also explained his decision to bowl first after winning the toss.“I was expecting bounce and there was a decent amount of bounce. Fantastic start given by Mayank. They were not given any space,” he said.Mayank Yadav set the tone by dismissing Brian Bennett on the very first ball of the match before finishing with two wickets, while Prince Yadav also claimed two scalps as Zimbabwe were restricted to 125 for seven. India then made little work of the chase thanks to Sooryavanshi’s stunning strike.
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