Having worked with Kanitkar since his India U-19 days, the trust between player and coach was already in place. A few productive net sessions later, Sooryavanshi walked into the final with renewed confidence. | Photo Credit: PTI

When Vaibhav Sooryavanshi arrived in Sri Lanka for the India-A Tri-Nation Series, he knew the spotlight would follow him.

Fresh off a stunning IPL 2026 campaign that earned him the Orange Cap, the 15-year-old had to quickly adjust to spin-friendly conditions in Dambulla and switch gears to the 50-over format.

Before the tournament even began, he was named in India’s senior men’s T20I squad for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games squad. The expectations only grew.

For a while, they seemed to weigh on him.

Despite getting starts, Sooryavanshi managed only 117 runs in his first four matches of the tournament and struggled to convert promising innings into substantial scores.

Then came a conversation with India-A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

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“When runs were not coming, I sat down with Hrishi sir to discuss a few things and he gave me a free hand to play freely,” Sooryavanshi told Sportstar.

“These conditions were slightly different, so it threw some challenges initially. So, I was trying too hard, but wasn’t being able to execute the plans. That’s when he told me, ‘ tu apna natural game khel, zyada soch mat’ (you play your natural game and don’t think too much about anything else). That motivated me and I continued to back myself and I’m happy that things worked out well,” the teenager said with a smile.

Having worked with Kanitkar since his India U-19 days, the trust between player and coach was already in place. A few productive net sessions later, Sooryavanshi walked into the final with renewed confidence.

“There was no pressure on me,” Sooryavanshi said. “When I walked out to bat, the idea was to execute what I had planned for in the first ten overs and then take it forward. It worked…”

Batting with complete freedom, he attacked from the outset, punished anything loose and never allowed Sri Lanka-A’s bowlers to settle. The innings set the tone for India’s dominance and earned him the Player of the Match award.

The knock could prove significant in the months ahead. Soon after the Tri-Nation Series, Sooryavanshi will join the senior national side for the Ireland and England tours, another opportunity to test himself in unfamiliar conditions.

And while the innings will be remembered for its impact, Sooryavanshi is already looking ahead. By his own admission, there is little point dwelling on the missed hundred when the next challenge is just around the corner.

He leaves the island on Monday to link up with the senior team in Chennai, taking with him the record for the fastest List A fifty and the confidence of a player back in sync with his game.

Published on Jun 21, 2026