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'One of RR's analysts texted me in 2023...': Sangakkara reveals how Vaibhav Suryavanshi grabbed his attention instantly
Vaibhav Suryavanshi has quickly emerged as one of India's most exciting young prospects.
At just 14, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is already turning heads. The teenage sensation from Bihar, who rose to fame with his record-breaking IPL hundred this year, is now drawing fans during India’s U19 tour of the UK. In Beckenham, where the first Youth Test was held, local spectators and members of the Indian diaspora flocked to catch a glimpse of the left-hander, who’s been busy signing autographs and posing for selfies between matches.
Despite being shielded from the media to allow him to focus, Suryavanshi’s impact has been impossible to ignore. With his remarkable hunger for runs and aggressive temperament, he has quickly emerged as the centre of attention on tour. In fact, Kumar Sangakkara, who is on broadcast duties in India's senior men's team's ongoing series against England, also spoke about Suryavanshi's emergence in Indian cricket.
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Sangakkara is currently the Director of Cricket Operations at Rajasthan Royals, the franchise Suryavanshi represents in the IPL. The former Sri Lankan captain revealed how the 14-year-old attracted RR's interest for the auction.
“Vaibhav Suryavanshi had already shown himself to be a very special talent. In 2023, one of Rajasthan Royals' analysts sent through a text saying, 'there's a very special player we need to watch, get to the trials and look to sign',” Sangakkara told Sky Sports Cricket.
“The first time I saw him live was after we had signed him, in the nets in Guwahati, batting against Jofra Archer and the other seamers that we had. And he made it look very, very easy. He had a lot of time.”
Suryavanshi's pictures from the nets while he faced Archer also went viral before his debut in the tournament. The youngster smashed the fastest century in the history of the IPL during his second match.
Sangakkara on Suryavanshi's batting
The Sri Lankan great spoke in detail about the youngster's batting skills that impressed him.
“The sound off his bat was like a gunshot every single time he contacted the ball. His bat swing is lovely, it's nice and wide outside the off-stump. And it's very free-flowing. He's got a lot of time, his movements are very, very simple and minimal, and he's very enthusiastic about developing his shot repertoire,” said Sangakkara.
“And he has all the shots that you want in a T20 batter. This is just the start for him. He will become even better, and hopefully, very, very special.”
