The clamour has only grown louder for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his senior debut for the Indian cricket team. But, regardless of when the 15-year-old makes the playing XI, the experience of being part of the squad will be a great learning curve, believes former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri.
On the back of a record-breaking IPL season, where he also won the Orange Cap, Sooryavanshi has turned out for India A in the Tri-Nation Series in Sri Lanka, before joining the senior team for their tour of Ireland and England.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Shastri said, “I’m very happy they picked him in the squad. You don’t want him, after an IPL like that, to be hanging around. [You want him to] come be with the team.”
“You get to face Raghu [throwdown specialist] every day, sharpen your reflexes, learn from what you’re watching.”
There is no substitute for learning the finer details of managing one’s fitness and skills from senior professionals, and the former Indian team head coach knows just how valuable the training environment can be.
Shastri still believes Sooryavanshi should have played against Ireland. “[Belfast is] such a slow and spongy track, he would’ve hit it on the roof as it was a small ground. He would’ve taken their pants off. He has beaten everyone in IPL. Give him a game as soon as you can.”
But, he’s mindful that Sooryavanshi is still only 15. He’s so young that he cannot share a changing room with the rest of the squad because he is still a minor as per the local laws in the UK. He’s so young that special concessions have been granted for his parents to accompany him on the tour. Not since Sachin Tendulkar has a player so young been part of the Indian senior setup. And even the Little Master, long before he became the Master Blaster, was not so young.
‘Even Tendulkar didn’t have his parents on tour’
“Don’t forget he’s 15. It’s the only time it’s happened, when a player comes on tour with his parents — even Tendulkar didn’t have his parents on tour — because he’s so young.”
Sooryavanshi will need to tune out the noise around his potential debut. For a player of his precocious talent, who has earned an opportunity through his performances over the last two years, it is not a question of if, but when, he will be handed a senior debut. Until then, he simply must buckle down and focus on his own improvement.
“When you get the opportunity, you should be ready. Because I think once he comes in and smells the coffee, it will be very difficult for someone to replace him,” Shastri said.