There is no denying the fact that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a poor start to his international career but the 15-year-old has received strong backing from Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza who believes the young batter has the potential to become one of cricket’s standout talents if he is guided properly.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi managed scores of 14, 13, and 15 in his first three T20Is during India’s 0-4 series defeat to England. The teenager also found it difficult to handle Jofra Archer’s short-pitched bowling in two of those innings.
Speaking about the youngster, Sikandar Raza said it would be unfair to judge a 15-year-old after only a few international matches. He praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s natural ability and said that with experienced senior players around him and proper management, the teenager could develop into a generational talent.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will now return to Zimbabwe, where he enjoyed one of the biggest moments of his young career earlier this year. In January, he smashed 175 off 80 balls against England in the Under-19 World Cup final in Harare.
With Sanju Samson unavailable for India’s squad, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is expected to receive an extended opportunity at the top of the order during the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Sikandar Raza added that stories like that of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are rare in modern cricket and stressed that the youngster’s future would depend greatly on how he is handled during the early stages of his career.
The Zimbabwe captain also dismissed the suggestion that India would begin the series as overwhelming favourites. Sikandar Raza pointed to Zimbabwe’s recent wins over Australia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as proof that his team is capable of competing against top international sides. He said both the teams have an equal chance of winning the series and expects an entertaining contest.
He also noted that while India’s aggressive batting style can be highly effective, it also creates opportunities for opponents when the approach does not succeed. Sikandar Raza described both India and Zimbabwe as teams going through a transition phase and believes the series is likely to be closely contested.
The second and third T20Is of the series will be played in Harare on July 25 and 26.
