India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer believes young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the temperament and ability to make a significant impact in Indian cricket, but said the teenager’s immediate development should not be reduced to conversations about his performances on the field.
Sooryavanshi remains part of India’s squad as the side begins its preparations for the next T20 World Cup, but Iyer indicated that there is no need to rush the youngster into a bigger role. The captain pointed to the presence of India’s established World Cup-winning openers while stressing that Sooryavanshi’s opportunity will arrive in due course. “And a very silent guy, but on the field, is very destructive. So, that’s like an irony when you look at him. He’s a very charming, sweet guy to interact with and good to have him around the dressing room. The captain also made it clear that the youngster’s current position behind established openers should not be interpreted as a lack of faith in his ability. After leading the T20I side to an Asian Games gold, he will now be looking to carry the same momentum into the five games against the Windies to seal the series early on.
Because we have been playing with World Cup-winning openers right now, and they deserve the time out there, and he’s still in the 15, and I know that his time will come,.
Speaking ahead of India’s five-match T20I series against the West Indies, Iyer said he has deliberately tried to build a personal connection with the youngster by speaking to him about life away from cricket. So definitely, when his time comes, he is going to dominate Indian cricket,” Iyer told JioStar.
