New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) At 14, Vaibhav Sooyavanshi has already rewritten record books across formats. Now, as India prepares to launch its 2026 Men’s U19 World Cup campaign against the USA at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, on Thursday, Sooryavanshi aims to shine at the biggest global stage in his cricketing career.

The left-hander's resume reads like a career highlight reel compressed into mere months: a 38-ball century in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals, the fastest 150 in men's List A cricket off 59 deliveries, and India's second-highest Youth ODI score of 171 off 95 balls. His 144 off 42 balls against the UAE in the Asia Cup Rising Stars T20 match added more weight to his glittering resume.

But beyond the statistics lies a transformation that those closest to him say will prove decisive in the tournament ahead. Manish Ojha, who recognised Sooryavanshi's talent at age 10 and coaches him at Gennex Cricket Academy in Patna, a place 100 km away from his hometown Samastipur, sees him as a player who has evolved rapidly since his IPL breakthrough.

"I have seen a change in terms of his game sense. He used to be aggressive before, but not in the current way. After his IPL 2025 stint, his confidence has been very high, and he can hit very good balls over the boundary ropes. Right from the very first ball, he's putting the bowler under pressure, and if needed, he can take his time before going aggressive again.

"He now approaches the game from two to three dimensions and is very optimistic in his mindset – like he's aggressive in T20s and 50-over games, while exhibiting patience in red-ball games. His maturity has increased, selection of shots against different kinds of balls has become better, and against which delivery he can hit it over the fence, that judgement has also honed, and even his sixes are going bigger and longer," Ojha told IANS in an exclusive conversation on Wednesday.

The upcoming U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Bulawayo presents conditions that could aid Sooryavanshi in playing his natural game, believes Ojha. "It will be a very big plus point for Vaibhav to play on bouncy wickets in the World Cup, as he can adjust his game accordingly to the waist height bounce offered by those pitches.

“Wherever he's gone, whether it's in India, England, Australia, or South Africa, he's hit a century at least, and between this, his performance in IPL was outstanding. He plays a lot of horizontal bat shots like cut and pull, as well as the upper cut, the slash over cover, and point.

“He can pull over square leg, mid-wicket, and mid-on fences, while he can execute shots well against deliveries outside off-stump. So he has a good advantage when playing on bouncy wickets," he elaborated.

Akash Raj, who made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar alongside Sooryavanshi against Mumbai in 2024, has witnessed the teenager's development from close quarters. "When we were yet to make our debut in the Ranji Trophy, from that time to now, Vaibhav has been through a lot of changes. His mentality and confidence level are very good now. He backs his game very well.

"He was a kid when he entered the Bihar team and is still a kid now. But he has matured a lot. Now he sees things from his perspective and still thinks about the team, like how he can help out with his batting in the initial stages, and put pressure on the opposition after that phase is gone, and make things easy for his side. He manages his innings accordingly and plays with a clear plan," he said to IANS.

The transformation extends beyond the boundary ropes, pointed out Raj. "In off-field things, he's changed a lot. He is very serious about training now and more serious about his diet, like what to eat, and when the right time to sleep.

"I can see professionalism in every activity he approaches now. He knows how much weight to cut and the optimal calorie intake for him every day. He's going well with good planning around him," he said.

For Raj, batting alongside Sooryavanshi offers a ringside view of his audacious strokeplay, as experienced by him when the teenager hit 190 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Arunachal Pradesh in Ranchi last month.

"The game becomes very easy for us when he is our batting partner. You get to enjoy seeing his batting from the non-striker's end. It is very good for us, as the pressure goes away," Raj said.

Ojha's advice before Sooryavanshi left for captaining India in the Youth ODI tour in South Africa and the U19 World Cup was about the importance of staying at the crease for a long time. "The little window we had for conversation before he left was about converting starts into big knocks and playing for as long as possible.

“It is advantageous for both Vaibhav and the Indian team, as when he plays for a long time, there isn't much pressure, and the run-rate is also high. That helps in the maximum utilisation of power-play and benefits the team in the long run.

“But when he gets out, all of a sudden the run-rate falls, as other batters can't keep up with the intensity and quick scoring Vaibhav does. In a way, Vaibhav is like the backbone of the team – he safeguards them from the pressure of losing wickets in a heap and the scoring rate going down."

The global spotlight awaiting him at the U19 World Cup holds no fear for a player already accustomed to breaking barriers. "Here, this is the best versus best teams tournament, and this is a really good chance for Vaibhav to shine the brightest by playing for a long time," said Ojha, who travelled to Kolkata and Ranchi to see Sooryavanshi in action in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Raj's parting message to his teammate was simple. "I just wished him good luck, while the rest of the Bihar team gave him good wishes. I think Vaibhav will do well in the tournament. He has gone with the mindset that he has to win the World Cup, and he is well prepared to do that," he concluded.

--IANS

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