NEW DELHI: India spin nice Harbhajan Singh believes there is just one solution to sort out Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary strokeplay — assault the 15-year-old and go for his wicket relatively than attempting to include him.Sooryavanshi has rapidly established himself as one of the crucial thrilling younger batters within the sport, with Harbhajan admitting he has by no means seen a participant dominate at such a younger age.“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is extraordinary. He’s a singular participant. I’ve not seen a participant like him earlier than, one who can dominate the world at 14-15 years of age,” Harbhajan instructed PTI in an interview.The Rajasthan Royals prodigy grew to become the youngest participant in IPL historical past when he debuted at 14 in 2025 earlier than smashing a 35-ball hundred towards Gujarat Titans to turn out to be the youngest batter to attain a century in males’s T20 cricket.His rise continued this yr when he grew to become India’s youngest worldwide debutant at 15 years and 99 days.
‘The one solution to survive is to assault him’
Sooryavanshi’s fearlessness was on full show through the IPL when he hit the primary deliveries from premier pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins for sixes.For Harbhajan, the truth that elite bowlers are compelled to consider the place to bowl to an adolescent is itself a outstanding assertion.“When the world’s high bowlers are bowling to him, they’re really desirous about the place to bowl. That itself is a giant, massive assertion,” he stated.So how ought to a bowler method Sooryavanshi?“The one solution to survive is to assault him. You go at him and you are taking his wicket,” Harbhajan stated. “It could not work on a regular basis. Generally you may even get smashed. He would’ve hit sixes. However that’s a part of the sport. It’s important to settle for that he is good.”Harbhajan stated he wouldn’t permit Sooryavanshi’s batting to dictate his area settings within the powerplay.“I will not set the sphere in response to what he is doing. I will set the sphere in response to what I am doing. If I bowl to flee, I will not have the ability to get him out,” he stated. “You go at him and you are taking his wicket. You may get success, you won’t. That is only a matter of time. It’s important to settle for that he is good.”
‘The subsequent ball needs to be about learn how to get him out’
Harbhajan believes the problem is as a lot psychological as tactical, with Sooryavanshi able to making skilled bowlers query themselves.“However nonetheless, the subsequent ball needs to be about learn how to get him out,” he stated.The previous India spinner’s recommendation displays the bizarre problem posed by Sooryavanshi, whose attacking method means opponents can not merely depend on defensive fields or containment.For Harbhajan, accepting that {the teenager} might rating boundaries is a part of the chance that comes with taking the aggressive route.
