Lucknow: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed to make it into the playing XI against the West Indies on Tuesday, but he emerged as the biggest crowd-puller, with fans across age groups turning for him. More than the 15-year-old superstar himself, it was the 45,000-strong crowd that was disappointed to miss the chance to see him in action at Ekana.A sea of spectators thronged the streets, decked out in blue jerseys and carrying tricolours. Some had come to support Team India, while others had waited for hours to catch a glimpse of their favourite players, with Sooryavanshi being the biggest attraction.The bustle on both roads leading to the stadium had begun in the morning. Shops and temporary stalls were selling Indian team jerseys, tricolours, caps and T-shirts bearing players’ names. Among the spectators, demand for T-shirts bearing Sooryavanshi’s name was the highest. Rajesh, a hawker from Ludhiana, said he sold the most Sooryavanshi T-shirts for the match. According to him, along with young fans, elderly spectators were also buying jerseys bearing Vaibhav’s name.Among the spectators was Rajendra Prasad Yadav, 78, who travelled more than 500 kilometres from Jabalpur. He said he had come especially to watch Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma. “After Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar, this is the first time I have come to the stadium to watch a match. I enjoyed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s batting the most,” he said.ID Yadav, 88, who came from Ghazipur, also appeared deeply impressed by Vaibhav’s game. He said, “In my lifetime, I have enjoyed the batting of only three batsmen the most—Sunil Gavaskar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and now Sooryavanshi.”The enthusiasm among spectators outside Ekana Stadium showed that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already created a distinct identity for himself.
