Rajasthan Royals player Vaibhav Suryavanshi during a warm-up session. (Annie’s photo)
New Delhi: Former India coach Ravi Shastri believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi could make his debut for India as early as next month, as the former coach urged selectors to speed up Rajasthan Royals’ opener in the National T20 setup.Speaking at The ICC Review, Shastri said the youngster has already done enough to earn a chance, suggesting that the upcoming tour of Ireland in June will be the ideal stage for his introduction to big-time cricket.“The door will be three-quarters open,” Shastri said. “If you want to cheer someone on or get them into the setup as quickly as possible, that’s the T20 format. It’s not short by any margin.”
Shastri wants the selectors to move quicklyThe former coach stressed that Suryavanshi’s age should not be an obstacle.
“A lot of people will ask, is he 15, is he 16, is he 14? I don’t care. I just see the way he’s batting at the moment and the way he’s dealing with all comers is twice his age or maybe two-and-a-half times his age. It doesn’t matter to him,” Shastri said.He added that the teenager could already join several international teams. “This guy can step into a lot of aspects of world cricket at this current moment. Just look at the youthful exuberance, and that youthfulness shows on his face.”
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been rapid. After helping India win the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, the left-hander exploded in the Indian Premier League for Rajasthan Royals, smashing 440 runs in 11 innings at a staggering strike rate of 236.56.India recall Adds momentumHis season includes a stunning 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad and a fifty, along with a tournament-leading 40 sixes. Shastri said the selectors should act immediately.“So I think he’s in a very critical situation. And when you have the tours in Ireland and all this going on now, I would have looked for him straight away,” he said.This possibility seems to be approaching. Sooryavanshi has earned a call-up from India A for June’s tri-series in Sri Lanka involving Afghanistan. A strong show there could make Shastri’s predictions come true.
Should Vaibhav Sooryavanshi be fast-tracked into the first India T20 team?