Abhishek Sharma, who has so far played in 206 T20s amassing 5995 runs at a strike rate of 175.44 in his career, last played a first class match in 2024. While Sharma has played in 24 first class matches amassing 1071 runs including one hundred and five half-centuries, the Amritsar lad has not featured in red ball cricket since the last 18 months.
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina believes Sharma should play Test cricket and how coaches can play a big role in nurturing such talents for Test cricket too.
Raina was asked by Aakash Chopra on the latter’s Youtube channel whether the era of all format batters has ended. “Demands have changed. I feel that it is not that relevant anymore. It’s done. Because now different teams are being formed. Look at the ODI. Team India has so many talented players. They can make two teams, they can become different in every format. But this is the future.
“I feel this way, because players should train in the same way. If you are in one format, how much sacrifice do you make? Is this generation willing to play Test cricket this generation? If you ask a question, they will say yes we will play, but deep down there is no chance. Because it requires hard work.
“I think Abhishek should play Test. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is young. Does he want to play? It’s a big question. The question is what mentorship are the coaches doing? Manav Suthar is doing good. Can he become the next Ravindra Jadeja? Is he ready to play in all three formats?” said Raina in the podcast.
Indian teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been playing in Duleep Trophy this season. The youngster, who amassed 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 237.30 in this year’s IPL, has so far played in ten First Class matches prior to this week’s Duleep trophy final. In the Duleep Trophy semi-final, Sooryavanshi had played knocks of 92 and 40.