Having been pushed down to No. 3 in the previous encounter where he scored four runs from eight balls, teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was brought back to his preferred opening position for the third T20I against New Zealand, where he unleashed a fierce 19-ball 45 containing four sixes and four fours at a mind-boggling strike rate of 236.84, drawing a clever analogy from former India batter Sadagopan Ramesh who played 19 Tests and 24 ODIs and felt that by letting Sooryavanshi open, the team management practically handed the teenager a “chocolate” of freedom, while Ramesh also showered massive praise on Abhishek Sharma by noting that Abhishek is batting like someone whom bowlers fear just by hearing his name and that he batted like a demon today to help break almost all records for the fastest opening partnerships with a staggering 133 runs scored in seven overs at a 19-run-per-over rate, joyfully noting that despite Diwali being far away, the Indian batters, especially Abhishek, effectively burst Rs 1,000 and Rs 10,000 crackers with their bats. The sheer brilliance of this partnership prompted India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer to label the batting display of Abhishek Sharma and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as absolutely stunning after their explosive foundation propelled India to a commanding six-wicket triumph over New Zealand on Tuesday, wrapping up an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, with Iyer telling the post-match presentation that it was absolutely stunning and pleasing to the eyes to witness their stroke-play, noting in amusement that when he and Sanju Samson walked out to bat and found the ball seaming, he kept wondering how the openers managed such brilliance, which remains simply mind-boggling given that Sharma scored a magnificent 113 off 38 balls with 11 sixes and nine fours alongside Sooryavanshi’s 45 off 19 balls to overhaul New Zealand’s competitive total of 199 in just 13.2 overs with 40 balls to spare.
From Gautam Gambhir’s ‘Chocolate’ Pep Talk to New Zealand’s Downfall: Inside Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Star Turn
