Former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Wasim Jaffer praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for prioritising the team’s cause over personal milestones. His remarks came after the third T20I against Zimbabwe, played on Sunday, July 26, in Harare.
Opting to bat, the Men in Blue posted 192/5, with Sooryavanshi top-scoring with 81 off 49 balls, including eight fours and four sixes. In reply, Zimbabwe finished on 157/7, falling 35 runs short as India completed a clean sweep of the series.
Speaking during a discussion on his YouTube channel (Wasim Jaffer Official), the 48-year-old said that Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach and willingness to keep playing his natural game have been key to his success. He also praised the youngster for not letting the pressure of individual milestones affect his mindset, saying:
“Of course, we all want him to score big hundreds, but somehow that’s not his style. He keeps playing his shots and goes for the big hits, and that’s also the reason behind his success. It’s really nice to see that the pressure of the scoreboard or individual milestones doesn’t get into his head. Even today, he played some excellent shots, but unfortunately, the catch that dismissed him was absolutely brilliant.”
Jaffer also highlighted how the 15-year-old missed out on centuries during the IPL 2026 playoffs, scoring 97 and 96 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively. He noted that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could have scored a hundred by taking a few singles, but added that that’s not his style of play. Jaffer said:
“He plays absolutely fearless cricket. We saw him in the IPL knockouts as well, where he missed out on two centuries after getting into the 90s. He could have easily played a few more balls and taken singles, but that’s just not his nature. That’s not how he plays the game, and that’s something to like about him.”
Meanwhile, the opener earned the Player of the Match award for his 81-run knock in the third T20I.
“One of the biggest positives has been him scoring runs” – Wasim Jaffer on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
In the same discussion, Wasim Jaffer praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for registering two half-centuries in the Zimbabwe series, stating that one of India’s biggest positives was the youngster’s scoring runs. He said:
“He (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) played two outstanding innings, and even today it looked like he might go on to score his maiden hundred. He narrowly missed out on that first century, but he has produced two really good knocks in this series. One of the biggest positives has been him scoring runs. We were already expecting Vaibhav to perform in international cricket, but I think these two innings will boost his confidence even further. Going forward, I feel he’ll play with a lot less pressure, and he has been a success story.”
The southpaw also finished as the Player of the Series, amassing 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10, including two half-centuries.
Edited by Dev Sharma