Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless shot-making is pushing Yashasvi Jaiswal to elevate his own game, the 24-year-old said after Rajasthan Royals’ 27-run win over Mumbai Indians on April 7.
The two left-handers, separated by nine years, tore into the MI bowling attack, guiding Rajasthan to 150 in a rain-curtailed 11-over contest. In reply, Mumbai never found the required tempo, managing just 123 for 9.
MI were jolted early when Sooryavanshi launched Jasprit Bumrah for a first-ball six, a shot that set the tone for the innings. The youngster, in only his second IPL season, smashed 39 off 14 balls before falling to Shardul Thakur in the fifth over.
Sooryavanshi’s dismissal came in dramatic fashion. He crunched a full delivery through extra cover, only for Tilak Varma to time his leap perfectly at the boundary and complete a stunning catch.
At the other end, Jaiswal matched the tempo, the duo putting together an 80-run stand. While Sooryavanshi fell, Jaiswal carried on, finishing unbeaten on 77 off 32 balls in the shortened game.
Jaiswal mixed scoops and uppercuts with his traditional strokeplay, making life difficult for the Mumbai bowlers. The assault was so relentless that only MI captain Hardik Pandya conceded at under 10 runs per over.
Speaking after the match, Jaiswal credited the young Sooryavanshi for forcing him to level up.
“The way he has been playing, it’s tremendous. He’s working so hard as well, so I also get motivated – I feel like I need to develop some different shots too,” Jaiswal told the broadcaster.
“All the time we have these discussions, like how we can go about it. If he’s taking on someone, I just keep giving him positive messages – that you can go after him, just play freely, khel bindaas (smiles),” he added.
JAISWAL-SOORYAVANSHI: THE PARTNERSHIP
The key to his relationship with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jaiswal says, is the fact that there is no elder brother syndrome. Neither does he order around the 15-year-old, nor does he speak to him in a tone that he is older than the youngster.
“He’s amazing and understands the game very well. He’s quite capable of doing it himself. He’s enjoying his game and playing unbelievably well,” Jaiswal said.
Take for example, their partnership against MI. The duo had set plans against the Mumbai bowlers, with Jaiswal takingg down Deepak Chahar, and Vaibhav showing incredible courage to target Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah leaked 32 runs in his 3 overs on Tuesday, something one does not see often.
“I think I had something in my mind because it was only three overs of the powerplay. So I was thinking, how can I take down the overs, or who I can take down. The minute I saw Chahar bhai was coming, I thought I can take him on. Then Bumrah bhai came in, so I was thinking maybe Vaibhav can take on Bumrah, and I will try to pick someone else. So I just kept thinking who I can go after and what shots I can play. I was just quite into the game,” Jaiswal said.
Jaiswal and Sooryavanshi’s explosive starts at the top have ensured Rajasthan Royals haven’t felt the absence of Sanju Samson, who had been with the franchise for 13 seasons. RR’s strong run has now taken them to three wins in three matches – against Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
The team currently sits at the top of the IPL table with a healthy Net Run Rate of +2.403.
