Bad news Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Cheteshwar Pujara feels India wonderkid unlikely to make international debut in 1st T20I vs England originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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He expects India to persist with their World Cup-winning top three in the England series.
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Pujara feels Sooryavanshi’s chance will come later through rotation once India rediscover their winning form.
Cheteshwar Pujara feels India’s wonderkid is unlikely to make his international debut in the 1st T20I vs England
The excitement surrounding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has reached fever pitch, with fans desperate to see the 15-year-old prodigy finally play for India. That clamour has only intensified following the team’s humiliating series defeat in Ireland, which left the top order exposed.
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Amid that fervour, a respected voice has urged everyone to temper their expectations. Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara, renowned for his patience and old-school temperament, believes the teenager must bide his time rather than walk straight into the England side.
Speaking on Star Sports, Pujara offered a realistic assessment of where Sooryavanshi stands in the pecking order. His view suggests that the youngster’s much-anticipated debut is unlikely to arrive when the series finally gets underway at Durham on Wednesday.
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Cheteshwar Pujara urges patience with the teenager
Pujara stressed the importance of shielding the youngster from the surrounding noise. “There is a lot of hype around him, and as a young player, he shouldn’t be focusing on what is being said about him. I think it is important to keep the outside noise away from him, and the best way to do it is to just focus on the game. I don’t think he will get an opportunity straight up,” Pujara said.
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Explaining the selection logic, Pujara pointed to India’s reluctance to disrupt a winning combination.
“The Indian team would not want to change their top three, and I don’t think Vaibhav will get his opportunity in the first 2 or 3 games,” he added. Pujara believes that while the ICT is doing well, there are better chances for them in rotation.
He continued, “Once the Indian team starts doing well, whenever there is an opportunity in rotation, that is when Vaibhav will come into the playing XI. What he has done in the IPL, it won’t be easy to replicate the same thing in English conditions.” Those top three of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Ishan Kishan formed the backbone of India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wait may be a blessing
His point about English conditions is valid, given the new ball swings and seams far more than on flat Indian surfaces. But while Pujara’s caution is wise, it’s also mildly frustrating. Shielding a 15-year-old from the brutal spotlight makes complete sense, yet India’s spineless batting in Ireland proves the current top order is hardly a settled, untouchable unit worth blindly protecting.
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There is a case that unleashing him now, with nothing to lose, could reinvigorate a deflated dressing room. Yet easing him in through rotation, as Pujara suggests, may ultimately serve his long-term career far better than a baptism of fire.
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