As teams in the IPL and possibly around the world begin to gather more data on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, something different caught the eye during the Rajasthan Royals’ match against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Saturday. It is now well known that the 15-year-old loves to target the leg-side, in the arc between long-on and square leg. Bowlers have looked to target Sooryvanshi’s stumps and test him against the short ball. However, those tactics have played into the left-hander’s hands, allowing him to hit to the onside and clear the boundary with ease. On Saturday, though, Sooryavanshi was tested. The GT bowlers consistently bowled on or outside his off-stump to try to negate his strengths and force him to swing across the line. The southpaw, however, seemed ready for the challenge. In his knock of 31 runs off 18 balls, 22 runs came on the off-side, including a four and a sensational six over third man, as well as runs towards covers and long-off. On Tuesday, Sooryavanshi will face another stern test against arguably the most well-rounded bowling attack in the league in Guwahati. Few teams in the IPL are as well equipped as Mumbai Indians to execute a disciplined bowling plan, and their varied and experienced pace attack could be ideally suited to testing Sooryavanshi. ALSO READ | How Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is dismantling IPL bowling attacks with his leg-side range Hardik Pandya missed Saturday’s match against Delhi Capitals, but returned to training on Sunday and will be available for Tuesday’s match, possibly coming in place of Deepak Chahar. MI, though, could be tempted to find a spot for Chahar in their bowling unit for his ability to swing the ball and also because he dismissed Sooryavanshi in the only match these two teams played last season in Jaipur.Story continues below this ad “Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) is not new – this is his second year, and we know he is a good player. Our preparation will be the same as for any other player,” MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey said on Monday. Trent Boult, who also missed the last match, is another swing bowling option that MI can use to try and dislodge Sooryavanshi early in the innings. And then, of course, there is the Jasprit Bumrah factor to consider. Whether in the Powerplay, middle overs or at the death, the 32-year-old could present the ultimate examination for Sooryavanshi. His control over line, length and his variations make him a daunting proposition for even for the best of batsmen, let alone a 15-year-old. Bumrah took the new ball with Chahar against DC and, in his first over, tried the slower delivery against Nitish Rana. Sooryavanshi has tended to like pace on the ball, and using the variation early on could surprise him.Story continues below this ad Mhambrey said that Bumrah’s ability to disguise his slower ball made it different from what Lungi Ngidi does. “The ability to disguise. The batters are finding it difficult to read Lungi Ngidi’s slower ones. Bumrah has the ability to disguise it, amongst the other things that he presents,” he said. Shardul Thakur’s variations accounted for three wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders and he often thrives when batters look to force the pace. Taken together, this is what makes MI’s attack one of the most well-rounded in the IPL. They are not reliant on a single mode of attack or a lone strike bowler; instead, they offer a range of options that can be tailored to specific match-ups. Against a batter who is still being figured out, that flexibility could prove decisive. From a broader perspective, this contest is as much about adaptation as it is about execution. Sooryavanshi has shown enough promise to suggest he can counter these plans, but the onus will be on him to adjust – to find scoring options even when bowlers deny him his strengths.Story continues below this ad The T20 format has always been defined by fine margins. When MI take on RR in Guwahati on Tuesday, how well they execute their plans against one of the IPL’s most exciting young talents may well prove to be the difference between the two sides.
How will Vaibhav Sooryavanshi tackle the Jasprit Bumrah challenge
