Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets 'baby' send-off after cheap dismissal against Pakistan
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Saim Ayub (Source: Screengrab/Sonyliv)
Published - 03 Oct 2026, 09:38 AM• Read time - 2 mins
India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed cheaply in his very first outing against Pakistan in international cricket, during the Asian Games 2026 men's cricket event gold medal match. Sooryavanshi had a brisk start to his innings, scoring 15 (9) with the help of two sixes.
However, he eventually fell prey to Saim Ayub while trying to play a reverse-hit towards third man. Sooryavanshi could only manage to glove the ball as wicketkeeper Usman Khan took a sharp catch behind the stumps.
What does Saim Ayub "cradle the baby"celebration mean?
As soon as Ayub appealed for caught behind and the on-field umpire’s finger went up, the Pakistan spinner celebrated in a rather interesting manner. Ayub made the gesture of holding a baby in his hand as Sooryavanshi walked back towards the pavilion, taking a dig at his young age.
— pctstorage (@pctstorage2) October 3, 2026
Sooryavanshi had a measured start to his innings, scoring just two runs from his first five balls, before he took on Sad Masood and whacked him for successive sixes in the second over of the innings. However, just when he looked set for a fiery knock, he was eventually dismissed by Saim Ayub while playing an adventurous shot.
As a result, he failed to make an impact in the biggest game of his short international career so far. Despite having just seven T20I caps to his name, Sooryavanshi was one of the most talked-about players heading into the final, with Pakistan players being well aware of his ruthless batting prowess.
It was one of the early tests for the 15-year-old prodigy of his career so far, and Sooryavanshi will have to rise to the occasion in these big moments to leave a mark at the international level.