Ahead of the T20I series against India, Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza lauded teen prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying he could become a generational talent if managed well. Raza also said that criticizing the 15-year-old player after an ordinary start to his senior career was not justified.
Sooryavanshi had made his highly anticipated debut in the England series in the second T20I after replacing Sanju Samson. He was given three matches, including the 3rd and 4th T20Is but was ultimately replaced by Samson for the 5th match. Sooryavanshi scored 14, 13 and 15 in the three matches in the series which India ultimately lost 4-0.
“Vaibhav is a supremely talented cricketer. If a 15-year-old kid is playing international cricket, criticising him after just two or three matches isn’t justified. I think Vaibhav has a lot of very good senior cricketers around him. If he is managed and handled well, I think Vaibhav could be a generational talent,” Raza said on JioStar.
“To see what he has done over the last year, what he has done for India Under-19, and the fact that he made his international debut at the same age, these are no small feats by any means.You don’t get to hear such stories nowadays. Vaibhav is special. It will be important how he is managed and handled,” he added.
Sooryavanshi will now return to familiar surroundings in Harare, where he had lit up the Under-19 World Cup in January with a match-winning 80-ball 175 against England in the final. With no Samson in the squad, Sooryavanshi is set to get an extended run at the top of the order in the the series beginning on Thursday.
Raza further dismissed any talk of India being overwhelming favourites, insisting the upcoming series will be a closely-fought contest.
Zimbabwe are sensing an opportunity against an Indian side looking to bounce back from a difficult white-ball tour of Ireland and England.
“Both countries will have an equal chance in this series. But one thing I am very sure about is that because Zimbabwe has been playing very consistent and very entertaining cricket, I can say this for sure that this series will be very entertaining,” Raza told Star Sports.
