NEW DELHI: In a ringing endorsement that could change a young cricketer’s life, former India head coach Ravi Shastri on Saturday lavished praise on 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, suggesting that the teenager may soon be fast-tracked into the senior national setup.Suryavanshi turned heads with a record-smashing 143 off just 78 balls in the fourth Youth ODI against England U-19, propelling India to a commanding total of 363 for 9. His whirlwind innings featured 13 fours and 10 sixes and included a 52-ball century – the fastest in Youth ODI history, eclipsing Pakistan’s Kamran Ghulam’s 53-ball effort in 2013.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Speaking during commentary on Day 4 of the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Shastri said, “He [Suryavanshi] will play First-Class cricket, but that’s what the IPL does. It gives you that platform. The whole country sees you. And you catch the imagination of everyone.”
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Shastri was emphatic about what lies ahead: “It will fast-track him if he goes and plays First-Class cricket, goes and gets a couple of hundreds in his first couple of seasons.”
The left-handed sensation from Samastipur, Bihar, is now the youngest ever centurion in Youth ODIs at 14 years and 100 days, surpassing Bangladesh’s Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was 14 years and 241 days when he hit his hundred in 2013. Suryavanshi also broke Sarfaraz Khan’s Indian record, previously set at 15 years and 338 days.Suryavanshi had already captured national attention earlier this year during the IPL, when he hammered a 35-ball century for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans — the fastest by an Indian in the league’s history.“He has already caught the eyes; already made it to the Under-19 team at the age of 14. Smacking it everywhere,” Shastri added. “And it’s tours like this to England, with this exposure – he can only improve.”India U-19 lead the five-match Youth ODI series 3-1, with Suryavanshi now being viewed as a generational talent with a potentially fast-tracked road to Indian cricket stardom.
