Bangladesh cricket in turmoil: What does this mean for T20 World Cup?
Sooryavanshi has been one of the most talked about names in Indian cricket over the past year. After making his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals last season, he became the youngest Indian to score a century in the history of the tournament. The left-hander then continued his scoring spree on tours of Australia, England and South Africa and performances that earned him an invitation to India A for the Rising Stars Asia Cup. Despite being tipped as one of India’s key players at the U-19 World Cup, Raman feels the context of Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise requires careful consideration.
contribution by WV Ramana
“That might be an unpopular opinion. Suryavanshi has done extremely well in the A series and IPL. Forcing him to play at the U-19 level is likely to be detrimental to his growth. He can win matches no doubt but it should always be about the big picture,” Raman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. On the field, Sooryavanshi endured a quiet start to the tournament. He lasted just four deliveries against USA, hurtling down the track in an attempt to hit leg before his stumps fell over. He departed for two despite coming into the contest in good form after smashing 96 off 50 balls in India’s first warm-up match against Scotland. However, India did enough to secure victory in a rain-affected contest. Henil Patel played with the ball and claimed five wickets as USA were bowled out for 107 in 36 overs. Sooryavanshi also jumped in with the ball and got the last wicket of Nitish Sudini. In the chase, Abhigyan Kundu remained unbeaten on 42 while Kanishk Chouhan added a steady 18 to guide India home comfortably. India will face Bangladesh on Saturday before ending their campaign in the group stage against New Zealand on January 24, with Sooryavanshi expected to remain a central figure throughout the tournament.