At just 15 years of age, calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut for India are on the rise. The fearless teenager is a firecracker in T20 cricket, and cricket pundits and enthusiasts have compared him to some of the greatest young talents of the Indian cricket team.
Sooryavanshi, who has made just eight First-Class appearances until now, has also been at the centre of some debate with respect to whether the BCCI should take a chance like it did with Sachin Tendulkar in 1989.
Sooryavanshi’s mentor, Zubin Bharucha, is also the one who has supported the youngster. Bharucha feels India should trust the teen instantly, instead of waiting for years to gain home experience.
Sooryavanshi already has the temperament and skill set to play at the highest level, compared to Tendulkar’s teenage debut against Pakistan, Bharucha said. The only way to judge the mental strength of the youngster is to put him directly to the test in the international competition, according to him.
Bharucha even said that Sooryavanshi’s long runs might not be as an opener. The little one has been all over these days but his mentor believes that if he should be pushed to the middle order, he could be more effective in the style of Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja in India’s Test side.
Bharucha appreciated Sooryavanshi’s solid back-foot play and how he faced pace with a composed demeanor, calling it a trait of some of the greatest batters in the history of the game. The teenager could turn into a full-fledged all-format player for India in the years to come if he receives the correct technical adjustments and guidance, he added.
He is exciting but his First-Class experience is light, and he will not be a risk-taker. But the surge of interest in Sooryavanshi has Indian cricket all set to gear up for another teenage wonder.