‘We talk too big about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’: Kapil Dev makes big claims

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Excitement around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continues to grow as India prepare to take on England in the second T20I of the five-match series at Old Trafford on Saturday.The 15-year-old batting sensation has been included in India’s squads for the T20I series against Ireland and England after a sensational IPL season. However, he is still waiting for his international debut. While fans and pundits are still clamoring for his inclusion, India’s 1983 World Cup captain Kapil Dev urged everyone not to put too much pressure on the youngster.“I haven’t seen him play much. He’s a huge talent, no doubt about it. But I think we’re talking too much about him. At this point, give him some time. Don’t hype him up. He’s young right now and he’s not old enough to understand everything,” Kapil Dev told Sports Tak.

‘As talented as Sachin and Virat’

Kapil believes that Sooryavanshi has extraordinary talent and has even compared him to two of India’s greatest batsmen – Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.However, he said the teenager still needs to prove himself in the longer formats of the game.“If you talk about talent, yes, he is as good as Sachin (Tendulkar) and Virat Kohli. You can see so much talent in him, but only in T20 cricket. He will have to prove himself in the remaining formats,” he added.

“Don’t count his age, count his abilities”

Kapil also backed the youngster to make his India debut if the team management believes he is ready.Paralleling Sachin Tendulkar’s early international debut, the former Indian captain said ability should matter more than age.“He is fabulous in T20s. You wouldn’t find even one per cent of players who can make such an impact at such a young age. We can talk about Sachin because he was also very young when we played him. We kept wondering if it is too early, but if you look at the history, you are afraid you might come too late. If he is ready, don’t count his age, count his ability,” said the former India captain.Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30, taking Rajasthan Royals almost single-handedly into the playoffs. His performances earned him a place in the Indian squads for the T20I series against Ireland and England as well as the Asian Games.Despite being selected, Sooryavanshi did not feature in either of the two T20Is against Ireland.Before both matches, fans and former cricketers debated whether India should hand him a debut. These calls became even louder after India suffered a shock 2-0 series defeat, with the top order in both matches.The demand for Sooryavanshi’s inclusion continued into the England series.However, the 15-year-old remained on the bench in the rain-affected first T20I at Chester-le-Street, which ended without a result after persistent rain.

All eyes on Manchester

With the series level even after the washout, attention has now shifted to the second T20I at Old Trafford in Manchester.Whether India will finally hand Sooryavanshi his long-awaited debut remains one of the biggest points ahead of Saturday’s clash.