Pakistan off-spinner Saim Ayub took the wicket of Indian teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on Saturday in the gold medal match of the Asian Games 2026, and after the wicket, Ayub immediately made a baby cradle gesture. Sooryavanshi did not react and walked away quietly. However, despite the early breakthrough, Pakistan could not restrict India to a small total, nor could they chase the runs.

Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal slammed Ayub’s celebration, saying the performances have not been great, but they continue to do things for social media.

“These things have been happening for a long time. Our performance hasn’t been great, but we are doing things for social media,” Akmal said on sports discussion show. “The management should think about this. It’s international cricket. No matter whether he is 13, 14, or 15, he’s playing international cricket. Saim Ayub is not a kid. He should focus on his performances.”

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The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi is the only Indian athlete on the coveted list in TIME magazine, which the American publication unveiled last week. The Bihar prodigy is also the youngest person and one of only seven athletes named.

“This year’s list-makers are pushing boundaries, creating new possibilities, and advancing their fields and communities around the world,” said Time CEO Jessica Sibley.

Featuring in the ‘Phenom’ category, TIME observed that Sooryavanshi  “is fast becoming one of global sport’s most electrifying figures.”

The Sooryavanshi phenomenon has gained rapid strides since 2024, when he first made his professional cricket debut at the senior level in the Ranji Trophy, aged 12. After being one of the youngest ever Indians to play First-Class cricket, Sooryavanshi was swooped up by the Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 season. Sooryavanshi set the stage on fire in the world’s most famous T20 franchise league in his maiden itself, smashing 252 runs in seven innings. It comprised a whirlwind 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans, making it the then-fastest ton ever struck by an Indian in the IPL.

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In his second season this year, Sooryavanshi relished a full-fledged batting season with the Royals, plundering 776 runs with a century and five half-centuries to emerge as the highest run-getter. Sooryavanshi walloped 72 sixes in 16 games, bettering the previous record set by T20 icon Chris Gayle by 20 maximums.