NEW DELHI: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s disappointment was clear to see after his dismissal in the fourth T20I against England in Bristol on Thursday. The 15-year-old youngster appeared to know he had thrown his wicket away. Moments after playing a mistimed pull shot, he started walking even before the fielder completed the catch, realising his innings was over.Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 15 off just 10 balls by Jofra Archer, who once again troubled him with short-pitched bowling.
Third low score in a row
The innings marked Sooryavanshi’s third consecutive low score in the series. He scored 14 on his T20I debut in the second match, followed it up with 13 in the third game, and managed only 15 in Bristol.WATCH:Archer, who had also dismissed the teenager in the previous match, stuck to the same plan. After testing him with a series of short balls, the England pacer forced Sooryavanshi into a mistimed pull that was safely caught at mid-on by Sam Curran.
High expectations after dream year
Sooryavanshi came into international cricket with huge expectations after enjoying a sensational year.The teenage opener lit up the IPL by scoring 776 runs at a stunning strike rate of 237.30. His remarkable campaign earned him the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and the Emerging Player award.Earlier this year, he also starred in India’s ICC Under-19 World Cup triumph. He smashed a record-breaking 175 off just 80 balls against England in the final, guiding India to a record-extending sixth U-19 World Cup title. He finished the tournament with 439 runs and was named Player of the Tournament.After plenty of debate over whether he should be fast-tracked into the senior side, Sooryavanshi was finally picked in India’s T20I squads for the Ireland and England series.Many expected him to provide explosive starts similar to the ones he produced in the IPL and Under-19 cricket. However, the step up to international cricket has proved challenging so far, with scores of 14, 13 and 15 in his first three innings.India, meanwhile, remain without a win under new captain Shreyas Iyer and trail England 0-3 in the five-match series.The two teams will meet in the fifth and final T20I at The Rose Bowl in Southampton on Saturday.
