‘Criticizing him after two or three games is not justified’: Sikandar Raza defends Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Cricket News
Captain of Zimbabwe Sikandar Raza has backed teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to emerge as a “generational talent”, urging people not to judge the 15-year-old after a rough start to his international career. Sooryavanshi endured a challenging debut T20I series in England, scoring 14, 13 and 15 in three matches as India went down 0-4. The young opener also struggled against Jofra Archer‘s short-ball, fell to the England pacer twice during the series. Despite the modest returns, Raza believes the youngster has the potential to become one of the brightest stars in the game if his development is managed well. “Vaibhav a most talented cricketer. When a 15-year-old is playing international cricket, criticizing him after two or three games is not justified,” Raza told JioStar. “I think Vaibhav has many very good senior cricketers around him. If he is managed and managed well, I think Vaibhav will be a generational talent.” India’s opener today returns to Harare, a place that holds special memories for him after his incredible 175 off 80 balls against England in the Under-19 World Cup final in January helped India lift the title. With Sanju Samson Unavailable for the tour of Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi is expected to get another opportunity at the top of the order when the three-match T20I series begins on Thursday. Raza said that the young man’s rise to the youth ranks is a remarkable achievement and he stressed the importance of nurturing his talent. “To see what he did last year, what he did for India Under-19, and the fact that he made his international debut at the same age, these are not small achievements by any means. “You don’t hear such stories today. Vaibhav is special. It matters how he is handled and managed,” he added. Looking ahead to the series, Raza dismissed suggestions that India will start as heavy favorites despite Zimbabwe facing the reigning T20 world champions. “Both countries have equal chances in this series. But one thing I am very sure of is that because Zimbabwe is playing consistent and very entertaining cricket, I can say this for sure that this series will be very entertaining,” said Raza to Star Sports. Zimbabwe head into the clash full of confidence after a string of impressive results, including a memorable 23-run win over Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup in Colombo in February, a result that played a major role in Australia’s surprising group-stage exit. They have also registered wins against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh this year. “As far as winning or losing is concerned, both countries have an equal chance to win the series,” said Raza, who represented Zimbabwe in 136 T20Is. The experienced all-rounder acknowledged India’s fearless approach to batting, saying it can overwhelm opponents or leave the door wide open if things don’t go according to plan. “As far as their batting line-up goes, if it clicks on the day, they will bat you out of the game. But in high-risk cricket, sometimes it doesn’t work out, and if that happens and the total is not that big, the other team has a chance.” Raza also pointed out that both teams are currently in transition, making the contest more balanced than many expected. “Yes, India is going through a transition and to some extent you can see Zimbabwe having a bit of a transition happening as well. I don’t see it as a one-sided series,” he said. He also praised the long-standing relationship between the two cricketing nations and the value of facing one of the top teams in the world. “India is a good friend of Zimbabwe cricket. From the players’ point of view, it is about the growth of the players and the exposure they get from playing against world champions, like India.” The remaining two matches of the series will also be played in Harare on July 25 and 26.
Post Comment