"He's got no fear of getting out": Watson hails Sooryavanshi's fearless mindset and all-round power-hitting
Mumbai, June 7
Shane Watson praised teenage Indian batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his remarkable power-hitting ability across all parts of the ground and his fearless approach at the crease.
The former Australian all-rounder also heaped praise on India's newly-appointed T20I captain, Shreyas Iyer's ability to score runs on the off-side, while also lauding ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah's ability to bowl change-of-pace yorkers.
Speaking at a Kabuni event at the Jio World Convention Centre, BKC in Mumbai on Sunday, Watson opened up on three qualities he would like to steal from current Indian cricketers. The Aussie started with 15-year-old Sooryavanshi's name, saying that he would like to have Sooryavanshi's explosive power-hitting ability and fearless mindset.
"Number one, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, for the power that he's got all around the ground, not just straight or to the leg side, it's also over the off side. And also to go with that, Vaibhav's fearless mindset as well. He has got, he has got no fear of getting out, which is something that I struggled with for a decent part of my career," he said in a video shared with ANI.
Sooryavanshi, on Saturday, was named in India's T20I squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games, and became the youngest-ever player to be picked for the Indian national side, breaking a 36-year-old record held by legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar had made his India debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16, setting a record that stood for a very long time.
Watson then praised Iyer for his exceptional ability to power the ball over the off-side, particularly over cover and mid-off against both pace and spin. Watson described it as a rare and highly valuable skill that Iyer executes effortlessly.
"I would say another skill--Shreyas Iyer's ability to be able to hit the ball with power over the off-side is something that he doesn't realise how incredibly good a skill that is. He does it so effortlessly over mid-off and over cover in particular, whether it's quicks or spin," Watson said.
Watson further said that he would have loved to possess Jasprit Bumrah's ability to vary his pace and execute yorkers, describing them as skills he never had to the same level during his own career.
"And the other one is, which certainly would I would give anything to have had that skill, is Jasprit Bumrah's change of pace and yorker. I didn't have that, not to that extent," Watson said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's refreshing to see an Australian legend like Watson praising Indian cricketers so openly. The fact that he singled out Suryavanshi for his fearless mindset reminds me of how Sehwag used to bat. Absolutely fearless! Can't wait to see him play for India 🇮🇳
I appreciate Watson's humility. It takes a big man to admit he struggled with something a 15-year-old does naturally. But let's not put too much pressure on Suryavanshi. Remember what happened to Vinod Kambli after his early success? Let the boy grow into his game at his own pace.
Watson's praise for Iyer's off-side play is spot on! Shreyas is such an elegant timer of the ball. And Bumrah's yorkers? Unplayable! Honestly, our current T20 team looks super balanced with Shreyas as captain, Bumrah as strike bowler, and young guns like Suryavanshi coming through. Golden era for Indian cricket 🔥
One minor thing though – Watson hyping up a 15-year-old is great, but let's see how he performs against international quality bowling. IPL has seen many youngsters shine and then fade. I hope Suryavanshi has the mental strength to handle the fame and expectations. But right now, very exciting times ahead! 👏
Watson's analysis is brilliant as always. The way he breaks down specific skills – Suryavanshi's power-hitting arc, Iyer's off-side dominance, and Bumrah's variations – shows why he's such
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