‘I’m not sure people know about it’: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cheekily checks in after 29-ball 94 in Tri-Nation final

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Screengrabs) NEW DELHI: Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who started a record-breaking knock in the final of the Tri-Nation Series, cheekily admitted his experience in 50-over cricket and said many people may not even realize how much experience he has in the format.The 15-year-old starred in India A’s decisive win over Sri Lanka A on Sunday, smashing a stunning 94 off just 29 balls. In the process, he registered the fastest fifty in List A history, reaching the milestone in just 11 deliveries. His explosive start helped India A to 377/9 before bowling out Sri Lanka A for 311 to secure a comfortable 66-run victory. Despite reaching the final after a meager run with the bat and an on-field tussle against the same opponent in the previous game, Sooryavanshi said he never felt under pressure.“I didn’t think about anything. I just wanted to fulfill what I had planned in the top ten and take it from there,” Sooryavanshi said after being named the man of the match.Questions were raised about the youngster’s form and temperament after he managed just 117 runs in four innings during the tournament. But Sooryavanshi revealed that discussions with the coaching staff helped him rediscover his rhythm.Watch: “No pressure. I didn’t do what I wanted to do. But I did it right after consulting the coaches. I learned a lot in this series,” he said.The left-hander, known mainly for his sixes in T20 cricket, insisted that he is equally comfortable in the longer white-ball format.“I’ve played a lot of 50-over cricket. I’m not sure if people know about that,” he said.“It was a challenge to adapt to different conditions, it was nice to take it.”

Tilak Varma praises the team’s response

India A captain Tilak Varma praised the team’s resilience after bouncing back from back-to-back defeats earlier in the competition.“Everybody showed real character. Especially after losing back-to-back games. Then we won by a big margin, which was tremendous,” Tilak said.“They have all played domestic cricket and have experience. It’s just a matter of pre-match planning. We start big, consolidate and accelerate,” he added.Sri Lanka captain Sahan Arachchige acknowledged the impact of Sooryavanshi’s innings.“Sooryavanshi played a brilliant innings. We managed the innings nicely but let it slip in the last two overs,” said Arachchige.“When we are chasing high scores, the top order can go down cheaply. It happens. The young guys played well, the seniors also scored. It was a good tournament,” he added.