‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can’t switch to Test cricket’: Former cricketer says he ‘has no technique’

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may still be just 15, but the sheer impact of his performances has already led to questions about whether he can eventually conquer all three formats. The Samastipur-born left-hander has made a stunning start to his career and has firmly thrust himself into the limelight with his performances in the IPL and at the international level.However, his immediate future remains in T20 cricket. Sooryavanshi did not feature in any of the matches, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma preferred at the top of the order. Given the team’s desire to maintain continuity, the decision was understandable despite the teenager’s impressive IPL campaign.The debate has now moved beyond the teenager’s place in India’s T20I XI, with his potential in Test cricket becoming the next point of discussion. Sooryavanshi has limited experience with the red ball and is currently nowhere near a Test call-up, but former England spinner Monty Panesar has already offered his assessment of whether the youngster can transition to the longest format.On the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast alongside former Australian captain Michael Clarke, Panesar asked if Sooryavanshi had the technique to succeed in Test cricket.“I don’t see Sooryavanshi transitioning to Test cricket. Harry Brook is the only one in the top 10 in Tests and T20Is at the moment. But I just don’t think Sooryavanshi has the technique,” Panesar said.However, Clarke offered a contrasting view. The former Australia captain argued that players can succeed in all three formats if they have the necessary skills and talent, citing Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers as examples.“I think you can still play all three formats. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have shown that. Those guys were brilliant Test cricketers and incredible T20 cricketers as well. If a player from this generation like Sooryavanshi can make the transition to Test cricket, it will be incredible to watch,” Clarke said.Clarke also singled out Sooryavanshi’s strength and exceptional ability to read the ball as his biggest strengths at this stage of his career. He believes the technical aspects of the youngster’s batting can develop with more exposure to different conditions.“Right now, power is still his main thing and he has an amazing eye. He picks the ball as well as any young cricketer in the world. The technique will improve the more he travels with India and trains in different conditions,” said Sooryavanshi.Clarke went a step further in backing the teenager’s long-term potential, suggesting he has the talent to become a star across formats if he chooses to go that route.“He’s talented enough that if he wants to do it, I don’t see why he can’t be a superstar in all three formats,” he added.Sooryavanshi already had some experience in red ball cricket. He was part of the East Zone that won the Duleep Trophy and came close to scoring a century in the semi-final against Central Zone before being dismissed in the 1990s.