NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fairytale debut season began with a first-ball six last month and ended with a scintillating half-century on Tuesday as the 14-year-old continues to justify the hype around him in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rajasthan Royals were unable to make the playoffs but finished their campaign on a winning note against Chennai Super Kings thanks to Suryavanshi’s 57 off 33 balls.
The left-handed batter finished his campaign with 252 runs from seven matches with a strike rate of 206.55, the highest by any batter this season.
“I don’t have words for him,” Rajasthan captain Sanju Samson said.
“Today in the middle overs, he smartly picked his scoring options. He did not swing at every ball. He was waiting for the left-arm spinners. It shows how smart he is.”
Suryavanshi’s talent and ability to read the game make him a long-term prospect for an India side heading into an era without stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following their test retirements.
“It’s an absolutely stunning combination... There’s something special for Indian cricket in the coming years,” Samson said.
Eyebrows were raised when Rajasthan signed Suryavanshi last year, with many even fearing for his safety facing some of the world’s most dreaded fast bowlers.
Wrapped in cotton wool for the first half of the tournament, Suryavanshi announced his arrival by hitting the first ball he faced, from India international Shardul Thakur, for a flat six in an April 19 match against Lucknow Super Giants.
However, it was his breathtaking 101 off 38 balls against Gujarat Titans that sparked talk about the arrival of a generation talent.
Rajasthan coach Rahul Dravid has warned that the youngster would need help to deal with his overnight fame and, after Tuesday’s match, said the player needs to keep improving.
“Remember, the bowlers will come better prepared against you next time,” Dravid told Suryavanshi in a video posted on the IPL website on Wednesday. “To dominate them, you need to develop your skills and be even better next season.”
Suryavanshi ends dream debut IPL season with impressive half-century
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Suryavanshi ends dream debut IPL season with impressive half-century
- The left-handed batter finished his campaign with 252 runs from seven matches with a strike rate of 206.55, the highest by any batter this season
Trump said Iran ‘welcome to compete’ in World Cup, says Infantino
US President Donald Trump has said that Iran is “welcome” to participate at the upcoming World Cup in North America, despite the ongoing Middle East war, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.
The war, triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28, has thrown into doubt Iran’s participation at this summer’s men’s football World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
During a meeting to discuss preparations for the competition, “we also spoke about the current situation in Iran,” Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body, wrote on Instagram.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” he wrote.
The comments marked the first time that Infantino, who in December created a FIFA peace prize and awarded it to Trump, has acknowledged the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Trump’s remarks to Infantino are a stark contrast to his comments to Politico last week.
Trump told Politico: “I really don’t care” if Iran play at the World Cup.
FIFA’s president has grown close to Trump since he returned to the White House, even attending his inauguration.
Asylum claims
Iran’s federation football chief on Tuesday cast doubt on his team’s participation in the sporting extravaganza, following the defection of several women footballers from the Islamic republic during the Asian Cup in Australia.
“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Mehdi Taj asked on Iranian state television.
While the event is spread out across three countries, Iran are scheduled to play all three group games in the United States, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Should Iran withdraw from the sport’s quadrennial showpiece, it would be the first time a country did that since France and India pulled out of the 1950 finals in Brazil.
On Tuesday, at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, some players from Iran’s team claimed asylum after they came under fire from state television for not singing the country’s national anthem before one match.
Five players, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, slipped away from the team hotel under the cover of darkness to claim sanctuary from Australian officials, the Australian government announced.
At least two more team members applied to stay later in the day, according to local media.
However, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday that one of them had subsequently changed her mind.
Burke said in parliament on Wednesday that he had since been advised that one of the group “had spoken to some of the team mates that left and changed their mind.”
“She had been advised by her team mates and encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy,” he said.
“As a result of that, it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.”
The remaining players have been moved from a safe house to another location, he said.
