Exclusive | Oman players puzzled by Vaibhav Suryavanshi: '14 saal ke ho, kaise maarte ho ye chakke?'

NEW DELHI: '14 saal ke ho, kaise maarte ho ye chakke? [At 14, how are you smashing those sixes?]' — that’s the question curious Oman youngsters Samay Shrivastava and Aryan Bisht are eager to ask India’s new batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, as the two sides gear up to face each other in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars clash in Doha on Tuesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Suryavanshi arrives at the contest on the back of two explosive knocks. After smashing a jaw-dropping 144 off just 42 balls against UAE — a record-breaking assault that powered India A to a massive 148-run win — the 14-year-old left-hander followed it up with a blistering 28-ball 45 against Pakistan Shaheens.His knock against UAE was a stunning exhibition of clean, fearless power-hitting.

He hammered 11 fours and 15 sixes, finishing with a staggering strike rate of 342.85 — the fourth-highest ever for a T20 century. His 32-ball hundred is now the joint-second fastest by an Indian in men’s T20s, equalling Rishabh Pant’s 2018 milestone and behind only the 28-ball tons by Urvil Patel and Abhishek Sharma in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Overall, Suryavanshi’s ton stands as the joint-fifth fastest century in T20 cricket history.

“We’ve only seen Vaibhav Suryavanshi on TV, and now we’ll be playing against him. When you’re 14 and you’re able to hit the ball that far, that’s just exceptional talent. It’s something not everybody can do — definitely something I couldn’t do at that age. 14 saal ke ho, kaise maarte ho ye chakke? [At 14, how are you smashing those sixes?] He’s really talented and very good, so I’m really looking forward to playing against him,” Aryan told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.Samay, who represented Madhya Pradesh before moving to Oman in search of better career opportunities, is also in awe of the young big-hitting sensation.“It’s a great opportunity to meet him. I just want to know his mindset about cricket. He’s only 14 and he’s already doing so well for his cricket and for India. I definitely want to meet him — the way he hits those big sixes is extraordinary. I really want to meet him and talk to him,” Samay said.SAMAY, ARYAN AND THEIR INDIA CONNECTIONBoth Samay and Aryan have strong India connections — and fascinating stories behind their journeys from India to Oman.So, what’s their story?Aryan, who traces his roots to Dehradun in Uttarakhand, was actually born and raised in Oman. His father moved there in the early 2000s for a job opportunity, and the family eventually settled in Oman.“I was born and brought up in Oman. I did a little bit of my schooling there, and the rest of it in India.

I played Under-19 cricket for Oman and have come through the ranks. I’ve played a lot of local cricket as well in Oman after the Under-19s, and that’s how I made it into the national team. I am basically from Uttarakhand, Dehradun, and I have completed most of my studies there. My parents have been working in Oman for the last 25-30 years.“My dad moved to Oman in the 2000s after getting a job opportunity, and my mom joined him the following year.

I was in seventh grade when they decided to move me to India to pursue cricket. They felt it would be better for me to learn the game in India initially, and that I could return to Oman anytime to represent the country. My cricketing foundation was built in India — I trained at an academy in Rudrapur,” he said.Samay, on the other hand, was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and moved to Oman after playing domestic cricket in India.

He steadily climbed through the ranks and has now become a vital cog in Oman’s bowling attack as a leg-spinner.A student of the craft, Samay draws his inspiration from the legendary Shane Warne.“Shane Warne is my hero and idol. As a kid, I used to watch him and his videos, and I followed him in every way — his bowling, his mental strength, his skills… everything. I played with Venkatesh Iyer, Rajat Patidar and Ashutosh Sharma — age-group cricket and all-India tournaments. We are still in touch and keep talking to each other,” he added.Both Samay and Aryan were part of Oman’s squad during the 2025 Asia Cup — the tournament India won by defeating Pakistan in the final.