Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is on the verge of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record for being the youngest male cricketer to have played for India. If the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi plays in India’s upcoming tours of Ireland and England, he will break it, with Tendulkar being aged 16 years and 205 days when he made his debut for India in a Test against Pakistan in 1989. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has said that he is excited for Sooryavanshi’s arrival in the Indian team and explained what the coaches’s approach will be towards the talented teenager.
“See, as a batting coach or any coach, it’s always a challenge because at this level the players have their own thinking, their own style, their own way they have succeeded. And then, you try to add something, it always takes time, it always takes the trust for them to believe. And for me, it is so important how much you want to add and when you want to add,” Kotak told reporters after India’s record win over Afghanistan in the one-off Test between the two sides on Monday.
“I have seen a couple of innings in the U19 Challenger Trophy. But from last year’s IPL and the way he bats, the way he executes those shots, it’s really exciting to be very honest for a 15-year-old. And to all the world-class bowlers, the way he has faced and the way he has succeeded is unbelievable how talented he is. So, I am really excited. But personally, we let him come, let’s see actually what helps him. Whenever we observe something, we will definitely try to help him in only as much as he needs,” Kotak said.
Last year, Sooryavanshi became the youngest batsman to score an IPL hundred when he achieved the feat against Gujarat Titans. The teenager, who had blasted a knock of 175 runs during the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup final against England, arrived in this year’s IPL as one of players to look out for. The Rajasthan Royals batsman hit one hundred and five half-centuries during this year’s IPL and amassed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 in 16 matches. Post his selection in the Indian team, Sooryavanshi had shared how he wants to dominate for the next “15-20” years.
