New Delhi: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s excitement continues to run high as India prepares to take on England in the second T20I of the five-match series at Old Trafford on Saturday.After a fantastic IPL season, the 15-year-old batting star was named in the Indian squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England. However, he is still waiting for his international debut. While fans and pundits continue to call for his inclusion, India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev I urge everyone not to put too much pressure on young people.“I haven’t seen him play much. There is no doubt that he is a huge talent. But I think we talk too much about him. For now, give him some time. Don’t over-hype him. He is still young and not old enough to understand everything,” Kapil Dev told Sports Tak.
“As talented as Sachin and Virat”
Kapil believes Sooryavanshi possesses extraordinary talent and even compared him to two of India’s greatest batsmen – Sachin Tendulkar swear Virat Kohli.However, he said the teenager still needs to prove himself in longer games.“If you talk about talent, yes, he is as good as Sachin (Tendulkar) and Virat Kohli. His talent is obvious but only in T20 cricket. In the rest of the games, he has to prove himself,” he added.
“Don’t count his age, count his ability”
Kapil has also backed the youngster to make his debut in India if the team management feels he is ready.The former India captain, who has been compared to Sachin Tendulkar on his early international debut, said ability should matter more than age.“He was very good in the T20s. You don’t find even one-hundredth player making such an impact at such a young age. We can talk about Sachin because he was also young when we played against him. We always wonder if it’s too early but if you look back at history, you worry you might be too early. If he is ready, don’t count his age, count his ability. ” said the former India captain.Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30 and almost single-handedly took Rajasthan Royals into the playoffs. His performances earned him a spot in the Indian squad for the T20I series against Ireland and England as well as the Asian Games.Despite being selected, Sooryavanshi did not feature in the two T20 matches against Ireland.Ahead of the two games, fans and former cricketers were debating whether India should make his debut. Those calls have become louder after India’s 0-2 series defeat, which saw the top seeds in both games floundering.The demand for Soriyavanshi to join the England series also persists.However, the 15-year-old remained on the bench in heavy rain during the first T20I at Chester-le-Street, which ended in vain due to persistent rain.
All eyes are on Manchester
With the series still level after elimination, attention now shifts to the second T20I at Old Trafford in Manchester.Whether India finally makes Suryavansh’s long-awaited debut remains one of the biggest talking points ahead of Saturday’s match.
