Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a true-blue phenomenon. The 15-year-old, who hails from Samastipur, Bihar, has made a name for himself quite early on in his career.
The left-handed batter recently didn’t feature in a single T20I against Afghanistan as Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma played ahead of him. The youngster is being made to wait for his chances despite a clutter-breaking Indian Premier League (IPL); however, the management can’t be blamed either, as they want to maintain continuity.
While the debate might be about whether Sooryavanshi needs to be in the T20I playing XI, there are some who are debating his potential future in Test cricket. With a limited number of red-ball games in his kitty, the young opener is nowhere close to a Test call-up, but still, there are some who want to predict whether he can make it or not.
Former England spinner Monty Panesar recently appeared on a podcast alongside Michael Clarke, where he predicted that Sooryavanshi won’t be able to crack the code in Test matches, claiming he doesn’t have the “right technique.”
“I can’t see Sooryavanshi transitioning to Test cricket. Harry Brook is the only one right now who’s in the top 10 in Tests and T20Is. But I just don’t think Sooryavanshi has got the technique,” Panesar said on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast while speaking to former Australia captain.
However, Clarke quickly countered this point, saying there will always be a case of players representing their teams in all three formats, provided they have the skill and talent. He then cited examples of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to make a strong argument in favour of Sooryavanshi.
“I think you can still play all three formats. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers showed that. These guys were brilliant Test cricketers and unbelievable T20 cricketers as well. If a player from this generation, like Sooryavanshi, can make the transition into Test cricket, it is going to be unreal to watch,” said Clarke.
‘Power main thing’
Further speaking about the teen sensation, Clarke said that right now, power is Sooryavanshi’s strongest virtue, and with time, he will learn how to adapt and play the situation accordingly.
“Right now, power is still his main thing, and he has an amazing eye. He picks the ball as well as any young cricketer in the world. The technique will get better the more he tours with India and trains in different conditions,” said Sooryavanshi.
“He’s talented enough that, if he wants to do it, I can’t see any reason why he can’t be a superstar in all three formats,” he added.
The left-hander recently featured in the Duleep Trophy, where he was a part of the title-winning team with the East Zone. He had come close to hitting a century in the semi-final against the Central Zone, but fell short after being dismissed in the 90s.