Zimbabwe T20I captain Sikandar Raza has thrown his support behind India's teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, urging fans and experts to show patience as the 15-year-old begins his international career. Raza believes the youngster has the potential to become a once-in-a-generation cricketer, provided his progress is managed carefully.
The Zimbabwe skipper also felt it was unfair to judge Sooryavanshi based on his first few outings in senior international cricket. Despite the immense expectations surrounding his debut, Raza stressed that young players need time to adapt to the demands of the highest level.
Sooryavanshi recently made his T20I debut against England, but the left-handed batter failed to replicate his IPL form, managing three successive low scores. This led to the youngster being dropped for the fifth and final game, but Sooryavanshi is now expected to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma in the three-match series against Zimbabwe, beginning Thursday, July 23.
“Vaibhav is a supremely talented cricketer. If a 15-year-old kid is playing international cricket, criticising him after just two or three matches isn’t justified. I think Vaibhav has a lot of very good senior cricketers around him. If he is managed and handled well, I think Vaibhav could be a generational talent,” Raza said on JioStar.
{{/usCountry}}“Vaibhav is a supremely talented cricketer. If a 15-year-old kid is playing international cricket, criticising him after just two or three matches isn’t justified. I think Vaibhav has a lot of very good senior cricketers around him. If he is managed and handled well, I think Vaibhav could be a generational talent,” Raza said on JioStar.
{{/usCountry}}“To see what he has done over the last year, what he has done for India Under-19, and the fact that he made his international debut at the same age, these are no small feats by any means. You don’t get to hear such stories nowadays. Vaibhav is special. It will be important how he is managed and handled,” he added.
Sooryavanshi's rise
Earlier this year, he produced a remarkable 175 from just 80 deliveries against England in the Under-19 World Cup final, an innings that played a decisive role in India's title triumph. He then set the stage on fire in the IPL, scoring more than 750 runs and finishing as the highest run-getter.
With Samson absent from the squad for the Zimbabwe tour, Sooryavanshi is expected to receive an extended opportunity at the top of the batting order when the series gets underway against Zimbabwe.
Looking ahead to the contest, Raza dismissed suggestions that India would start as overwhelming favourites. The experienced all-rounder expects a competitive battle between the two sides and believes Zimbabwe have every reason to be confident on home soil.
Zimbabwe will take encouragement from India's recent struggles in white-ball cricket, with the visitors arriving after a difficult tour of Ireland and England. The Men in Blue lost T20I series against both teams and then suffered a defeat in the ODI series against England as well.
“Both countries will have an equal chance in this series. But one thing I am very sure about is that because Zimbabwe has been playing very consistent and very entertaining cricket, I can say this for sure that this series will be very entertaining,” Raza said.