Goenka chats with Sooryavanshi after Jaipur raid; Gavaskar teases: ‘I’ll be bidding for you soon’

Sanjiv Goenka with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the match. (Download video) NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only 15, but on Tuesday night in Jaipur, the teenager produced a knock so breathtaking that even the opposition could only applaud. And when LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka came to congratulate the young batsman after the match, it prompted a cheeky on-air remark from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar: “I’ll be bidding for you soon.”The commentary, clearly in jest, summed up the impact of Sooryavanshi’s 38-ball 93 as Rajasthan Royals crushed Lucknow Super Giants by seven wickets to move to the brink of the play-offs.The opposing owner joins in the standing ovationAfter the defeat, Goenka was seen chatting with Sooryavanshi near the boundary ropes while the teenager signed autographs for young fans. It was an unusual sight — the owner of the beaten side personally congratulating the player who nearly ended his team’s night.Goenka, accompanied by head coach Justin Langer, stood and applauded as Sooryavanshi backed away after falling seven runs short of a century. At that time, the competition was practically over.

Sanjiv Goenka stood and applauded as Sooryavanshi returned after falling seven runs short of a century. (Download video)

Tapping beyond his yearsThe shift did not start in trademark style. Sooryavanshi climbed to 11 off his first 12 deliveries while stand-in skipper Yashasvi Jaiswal ran out at the other end. But once it was set, the teenager unleashed chaos.He smashed a 26-run over from Akash Singh and followed it up with 29 against Mayank Yadav, racing to a 23-ball fifty and adding another 43 in just 15 deliveries.A slower ball from Mohsin Khan denied him a hundred and visibly upset the youngster. But the applause from the Jaipur crowd – and even from the opposition camp – told a bigger story.“I don’t read newspapers and stuff,” said Sooryavanshi afterwards with a smile. “This is just the beginning. If I have a long career, a lot of things will be said. I just want to focus on my game and finish my journey.”Jaiswal perhaps summed it up best. “The way Vaibhav batted absolutely killed the game. We said one of us should bat till the end – and he killed the game.”