Former India spinner R Ashwin lauded young Vaibhav Suryavanshi after the 14-year-old produced a jaw-dropping knock of 190 off just 84 balls for Bihar in their Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Arunachal Pradesh. While praising the youngster’s talent, Ashwin also raised concerns over the lack of competitiveness in Plate Group fixtures, calling it “not an ideal contest.”
Bihar were ruthless in their dominance, piling up a staggering 574/6 — the highest team total ever recorded in List A cricket. Vaibhav played a starring role, racing to his century in just 36 deliveries, leaving the cricketing world in awe.
However, Ashwin pointed out the stark disparity in quality between certain teams in the Plate Group, describing the divide as “chalk and cheese.” Speaking on his YouTube channel, he stressed that while the innings was extraordinary, the imbalance in competition raises important questions.
“Big applause for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. But there is a huge gap in quality between some teams. These matches often become extremely one-sided, with no real contest. That’s not ideal,” Ashwin said.
He added that while a massive score remains a massive score regardless of opposition, such mismatches could impact the confidence and growth of developing teams like Arunachal Pradesh.
“A double hundred is a double hundred, even if it’s scored in your neighbourhood. But if we genuinely want teams like Arunachal Pradesh to improve, we need to think about what such games do to their confidence,” he noted.
Ashwin also reserved special praise for Ishan Kishan, who recently earned a recall to India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter produced a breathtaking 125 off just 39 balls against Karnataka, bringing up his century in a mere 33 deliveries while batting in the middle order.
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Reflecting on Kishan’s journey, Ashwin highlighted the resilience shown by the left-hander after enduring a challenging phase in his career.
“Every cricketer goes through ups and downs, and Ishan had a tough period. He was in and out of the team, took a break, and despite scoring a double hundred in ODIs, he couldn’t cement his place. Even after a hundred in the IPL, things didn’t quite click. But he worked hard, performed in the SMAT, earned his spot in the T20 World Cup squad, and now this knock in the Vijay Hazare Trophy shows what confidence and form can do when everything aligns,” Ashwin said.
