Vaibhav Sooryvanshi's stature in cricket continues to grow. The boy wonder is in red-hot form this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he has amassed 357 runs in eight innings at an average of 44.62 and a strike rate of 234.86.
This run has seen him notch two half centuries and a hundred and hit 31 fours and 32 sixes. The 32 sixes that the 15-year-old has smashed are the most by a batter in the ongoing edition of the IPL.
For his batting exploits, Sooryvanshi has earned praise from fans and experts. But his performances are also making him come under unusual scrutiny.
One person who has questioned Sooryvanshi's performance is Pakistan-based cricket analyst Nauman Niaz who believes that the teenager could be making use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to gain an unfair advantage over his fellow batters.
Speaking on a television programme, Niaz raised a question on Sooryvanshi's bat saying that his equipment could have an AI chip pre-installed in it. Niaz believes that the chip is aiding him to hit sixes and fours with ease and suggest that the bat needs to be tested just like how athletes undergo routine dope checks.
Several people have reacted to Niaz's comments with most of them dismissing the claims and calling it baseless.
Last Saturday, Sooryvanshi hit a hundred off just 36 balls during a match between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Jaipur. By doing so, he has the second and third fastest tons in the history of the IPL. Last year in his debut season, Sooryvanshi smashed a 35-ball ton in match against Gujarat Titans.
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