Former India spinner Murali Kartik supports Team India’s decision not to rush 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the playing XI. Despite his outstanding performances and being named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi has not yet debuted at home and did not play against Afghanistan and West Indies.
The management has opted to stick with regular openers, despite fan anticipation for his appearance.
Why management is backing Samson and Abhishek
Kartik emphasized that changes should be meaningful, supporting Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as openers due to their successful partnership of 1,125 runs in 38 T20Is, India’s fourth-highest. He noted their contribution to India’s victories despite inconsistencies and acknowledged the increased competition for opener positions due to Ishan Kishan’s recent form. “We have seen the quality of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, both of them are sitting right up there. Then you’ve got Ishan Kishan, who’s your number two, number one players out there, so it’s very difficult to make the change,” Kartik said.
Kartik compares Sooryavanshi with Jaiswal
Kartik compared Sooryavanshi’s situation to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s, noting Jaiswal’s success in Tests and IPL but limited opportunities in white-ball cricket due to established openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. He expressed that while Sooryavanshi is an exciting talent, he does not support changes solely to include new players at the expense of established ones.
Wait for your opportunity
According to Kartik, Sooryavanshi’s opportunity will arise if an opener experiences a slump. He pointed out that Sooryavanshi made his India debut in England when Samson was struggling. “You have to wait for your opportunity. The guy waiting behind the door, ready to come out and say, ‘listen, I’m there.’ That’s exactly how it should be handled, rather than saying, oh, we like him, people want to see him, so let’s bring him in. No, that’s being unfair on the guys who are already there,” Kartik said.