New Delhi: On August 23, 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi will begin a new chapter in his career when he takes over as vice-captain of the East Zone team in the Duleep Trophy. At present, however, the entire cricketing world—and particularly opposition bowlers—are keeping a close eye on his batting approach. Spin legend Harbhajan Singh highlighted exactly this aspect during an interview on the Press Trust of India (PTI) podcast.
Harbhajan said, “Suryavanshi’s approach to batting is completely different from others in the cricketing world. Any bowler who faces Vaibhav will have to adopt an attacking approach against him because there is simply no way to keep him under control.”
Puts Fear in the Bowler’s Mind
Bhajji also believes that “Suryavanshi is very young and has no international cricket experience, yet he has the ability to put fear into a bowler’s mind. Suryavanshi is an extraordinary and unique batsman. I have never seen a player like him before. Just look at his ability—at the age of 15, he can dominate even the best bowlers.”
Six Off the First Ball from Bumrah and Cummins
Suryavanshi made his IPL debut in 2025 at the age of just 14. Playing for Rajasthan Royals, he became the youngest player to score a T20 century, reaching the milestone off only 35 balls. In this year’s IPL, his tally of 776 runs was the highest among all players. He also smashed sixes off the very first ball against world-class fast bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins.
Before the IPL, Suryavanshi had scored a sensational 175 off 80 balls against England in the Under-19 World Cup, registering the highest score in the final of the tournament. He went on to help India win the title and was also named Player of the Tournament. More recently, he made his senior international debut against England.
Plan to Get His Wicket Early
Bhajji said, “Just look at the impact Suryavanshi has! Even the world’s top bowlers have to think long and hard about what type of delivery they need to bowl to keep this boy under control. Overall, the approach of bowlers has been clear: since Suryavanshi is extremely difficult to contain, attack him from the very beginning and try to get his wicket as quickly as possible.”
What Would Have Been Bhajji’s Approach Against Suryavanshi?
Asked what his approach would have been if he had bowled to Suryavanshi, former off-spinner Harbhajan said, “I would not have set my approach according to the way he plays, but according to the type of bowling I used to do. I would have set the field accordingly. Everyone has to accept that he is a very good batsman. There is no point in bowling to him out of fear. If you do not succeed against him with one ball, you should bowl the next one with the mindset of figuring out how to get him out. That is how I would approach it.”
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