It was December of 2011 when 17 year old, Vijay Hari Zol of Jalna playing in an Under-19 match for Mahrashtra against Assam, made a vibrant score of 457. Zol remained unbeaten on the score as he faced 467 deliveries. 53 balls were dispatched to the boundaries and 2 hits went over the ropes. His 11-hour long stay at the crease was an exceptional showcase of temperament that would match with the likes of Rahul Dravid or Mohammed Yusuf. His score of 457 climbed to the No.1 spot in the domestic record books, surpassing the previous highest score of 443 by Bhausaheb Nimbalkar's in 1948 in a Ranji match between Maharashtra and Kathiawar.
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| Vijay Zol - A Rising Star |
The naturally gifted stylish left-handed batsmen has every cricketing shot in his book. His scoring areas aren't restricted to any particular side of the ground. This exceptionally talented batsmen can score runs in all the directions of the park. Concordant to the modern day international cricketers he can hit boundaries at his will and when there aren't much opportunities, he makes keeps the score-board rotating with quick singles, a quality carved from a genuine batsmen. His lean but acrobatic physique adds to his swiftness on the field.
A year ago, Zol had also scored a double century against Gujarat in the league stages of Vijay Merchant tournament. His score of 222 was then his personal best. But it was his marathon innings of 457 that opened the doors for his career to blossom. His consistency of making match winning scores soon earned him a deserved place in India Under-19 squad that went on to win the Under-19 World Cup in 2012. A fifty in the group stage match and a supporting 36 runs against Pakistan in the quarter-final guaranteed his team a place in semi-finals.
A talent like Vijay Zol is of gold value and hardly goes unnoticed. The IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore noticed the potential in Vijay Zol and wasted little time in signing him for a youth contract in 2012.
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| Invaluable - Vijay Zol |
The limelight surrounding Zol hardly distracted him as his focus remained to be only cricket. His consistent performances and his ability to lead was rewarded with the captaincy of the Under-19 Indian team for the triangular series in Australia, early this year. Zol accepted the huge task of leading the team and came up with even better performances as he scored 293 runs at a staggering average of 73.25. Zol continued his purple patch as he lead India Colts to victory in Sri Lanka followed by a jubilant hundred in a winning cause against Pakistan in the Under-19 Asia Cup.
On the pleasant morning of August 30,2013, Vijay Zol made a dream debut for India-A by scoring a century against New zealand-A. The innings was a compilation of technique and temperament that would outclass the best of bowling attacks from across the world. The lean into the drives and back-foot punches through the covers while maintaining a perfect balance reminded me of the grace of legendary Brian Lara and Saurav Ganguly as he concluded his exemplary innings.
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| Dream Debut - Vijay Zol celebrates his century on debut for India -A |
Vijay Zol acknowledges Virender Sehwag as his idol. He was rightly awarded M.A.Chidambaram Award for the best Under-19 Cricketer by the BCCI in 2012. Given the records, the consistency and the form that Vijay Zol is in, the future looks all bright for this naturally gifted exceptional talent. But, to make it to team India, Zol has to do what he does best and that is to bat and bat to score big.
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