Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: A growing chorus of former cricketers is calling for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked into India’s T20 setup after his latest IPL heroics, even as voices of caution warn against rushing his rise.The 15-year-old lit up the Indian Premier League with a stunning 52 off 17 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings, bringing up a 15-ball fifty — the third-fastest in IPL history. His fearless assault came after RR restricted CSK to 127, sealing an emphatic eight-wicket win.
Calls to fast-track a prodigyFormer India batter Mohammad Kaif admitted he had initially been wary of the hype around Sooryavanshi but now believes the youngster is ready for the next level. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped way too early. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no haste in fast-tracking young players. But a year later, I think he is ready to graduate to the next level,” Kaif wrote, adding that the teenager has the ability to “entertain and play match-winning knocks.”Echoing that sentiment, former spinner Piyush Chawla was quoted as saying in ESPNCricinfo, “If he plays like that, I would love to see him fast-tracked.” Chawla highlighted Sooryavanshi’s consistency across formats, noting his ability to score not just hundreds, but “big hundreds.”Ambati Rayudu also backed the youngster’s immense potential, calling him “a cut above a lot of youngsters.” However, he pointed out the challenge of breaking into a world champion Indian T20 side, saying, “Don’t forget, our Indian team is a world champion team. It’s won the T20 World Cup. So to replace somebody in that side is not easy. To me, there are a few players ahead of him at the moment, because you tend to pick and build your teams ahead of the next ICC competition.”Ashwin’s word of cautionWhile praise has poured in, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged restraint, stressing the need to manage expectations around a 15-year-old.“Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a guy, he is a kid,” Ashwin said on his YoouTube channel, emphasising that Sooryavanshi has time on his side. “If Sooryavanshi plays till 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right.”Ashwin, however, was effusive in his praise of the youngster’s ability. “He is too good to not play for India. He will play anyway eventually. When will he play? For that, we might have to wait a bit. Why are we always in a hurry.”Having already impressed with a record-breaking Under-19 World Cup campaign, Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise has captured the imagination of fans and experts alike. But as the debate intensifies, the challenge will be to balance excitement with patience.
