Sachin Tendulkar has paid tribute to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the teenager’s influence on matches went beyond the runs he scored.
A record-breaking debut campaign
The Bihar-born batter turned 15 a day before the tournament began and went on to have one of the most remarkable seasons in IPL history. For Rajasthan Royals he made 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31.
His knockout form was just as striking. He hit 97 off 29 balls in the Eliminator and followed it with 96 off 47 in Qualifier 2.
Tendulkar’s verdict
Tendulkar wrote that opponents were thinking about Sooryavanshi, teams were planning for him and fans were waiting for him before he even reached the crease. He said the rapid scoring in both the Eliminator and the Qualifier showed his intent did not change as the pressure rose, and that his batting seemed to give Rajasthan extra belief every time he walked out.
Records and awards
Sooryavanshi hit 72 sixes, beating the old single-edition record of 59 set by Chris Gayle in 2012. The Tajpur-born youngster finished with the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season and Super Sixes of the Season awards.
