Former India captain and Head Coach Rahul Dravid emphasised the need for 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, to gain experience in red-ball cricket before making a mark in the Test format.
IMAGE: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s red-ball form remains a work in progress, with just 225 runs in 13 first-class innings at an average of 16.54, with one fifty. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- Rahul Dravid advocates patience for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, suggesting he needs a ‘couple of seasons of red-ball cricket’ to adapt to the longest format.
- Dravid highlights the challenge of fitting domestic red-ball cricket into Sooryavanshi’s schedule due to his white-ball commitments with the national team.
- Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut at 15 years and 99 days, becoming India’s youngest international cricketer, and has an impressive white-ball record.
- Despite his white-ball success, including a Player of the Series award in Zimbabwe and an Under-19 World Cup triumph, his red-ball cricket record is still developing.
Former India captain and Head Coach Rahul Dravid called for a patient approach towards 15-year-old batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying he would need a “couple of seasons of red-ball cricket” to find his feet in the longest format.
“With Vaibhav, you’ve got to be patient. He’s only 15-years-old, and from what I’ve seen of the kid, I have no doubt that given the opportunity to practice and play domestic cricket and a couple of seasons of red-ball cricket, he will be able to hold his own in a Test match team,” Dravid told JioStar.
Challenges for Sooryavanshi’s Development
Dravid said it would be challenging to find space for domestic cricket in Sooryavanshi’s calendar, which will be quite packed because of white-ball duties with the national team.
“Whether he’ll be able to break into the eleven with the guys already performing, that’s a different story and a tricky one.
“Whether he’ll have the time to play two full seasons of domestic cricket because he’ll be so busy playing for India in the white-ball format, I’m not sure about that. So skill-wise, I think no problem; whether they’ll be able to do it because of schedules might be a bit more tricky,” Dravid said.
Sooryavanshi’s Impressive White-Ball Record
Sooryavanshi has made a spectacular start in white-ball cricket. He became India’s youngest international cricketer when he made his T20I debut against England at 15 years and 99 days. After a modest England tour, he excelled in Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 196.10 and earning Player of the Series honours.
His broader white-ball record is equally impressive. He has scored 1,670 runs in 40 T20 innings at an average of 42.82 and strike rate of 216.32, with four centuries and eight fifties. In 13 List A matches, he has made 564 runs at an average of 43.38 and strike rate of 176.80. He was also a key figure in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph this year, smashing 175 off 90 balls in the final against England.
Red-Ball Cricket: A Work in Progress
Red-ball cricket, however, remains a work in progress. He has scored 215 runs in 13 first-class innings at an average of 16.54, with one fifty.
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