Sehwag sees reflection of himself in Sooryavanshi: ‘His thinking is similar to mine’

Teen batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is currently in his prime, said the former Indian opener Virender Sehwag. The trailblazer of his time, Sehwag claims he sees his reflection in the 15-year-old, who continues to strike from ball one across formats. Sooryavanshi is the most exciting prospect in Indian cricket, having already made headlines for his exploits. The attacking left-hander opens the batting and has a similar mindset to Sehwag, who was considered amongst the most dangerous opening batters in the world during his playing days. Like Sehwag, Sooryavanshi also likes to put pressure on the bowler from the first ball.

“Sooryavanshi is in his prime, and his thinking is somewhat similar to mine, that of hitting right from the first ball. Now, it is about when he gets the opportunity and how many matches he plays for India,” Sehwag said during an interaction at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual session in New Delhi.

“Look, if you are playing in an age category, it makes sense. If it’s U-19, your age should be under 19. But once you play in the IPL or play for India, age doesn’t matter. A 38-or 40-year-old Kohli is playing, and a 15-year-old Sooryavanshi is also playing. Then performance matters,” he added.

Former Indian pacer Subroto Banerjee also commented on Sooryavanshi’s shot range, saying his game suits the shortest format but urged decision makers to help work on his red-ball game.

“Sooryavanshi has a wide, unique range of shots. T20 comes easy to him. He should be kept in the T20 set-up, and at the same time, he should be groomed in domestic red-ball cricket,” former India pacer Subroto Banerjee said.

Patience in the West Indies Series

Sooryavanshi made his T20I debut against England in July this year, and has been selected in all T20I squads picked since. Having last featured in the Asian Games cricket competition in Japan, which India won by beating Pakistan in the final, Sooryavanshi has warmed the benches during the West Indies T20Is.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said ahead of the T20I series opener that Vaibhav must wait for his turn, and that he continues to gain experience by rubbing shoulders with teammates inside the dressing room till then.