After Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hit two sixes off England's pace attack in the second T20I, former India cricketer R Ashwin said that the young player's innings was only a preview of what was to come. The game took place in Manchester on Saturday, July 4.
Playing in his debut T20I game, the 15-year-old southpaw smashed 14 runs off 10 balls, including one six each against Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. India made 190/7 in 20 overs thanks to Ishan Kishan’s 49 and Abhishek Sharma’s 43. In response, Jacob Bethell’s 76* led England to a 4-wicket win with one over to spare.
“I'm very happy. The way he took on Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue has already given us a trailer of what's to come. To step onto such a big stage without any fear, there wasn't even the slightest sign of fear or pressure on his face. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is here to play, and he's here to stay. I have no doubt about that,” Ashwin stated on his YouTube channel.
Asserting that he wants to witness the first Sooryavanshi rather than the second Sachin Tendulkar or Don Bradman, Ashwin emphasized the significance of avoiding drawing comparisons between him and past legends.
“I only want to see how this boy turns it around and goes on to have a very successful career because I think he can do it. He has the capability. But don't compare him with anyone. We want the first Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. We don't want the second Don Bradman, the second Sachin Tendulkar, or the second Shane Warne. We want the first Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, so that we can witness his own journey and learn from it,” he stated.
India got whitewashed by Ireland in the 2-T20I series before the England series and now lost the one T20I to England, with Shreyas Iyer starting his India captaincy tenure on a poor note.
With two years remaining, Ashwin stated that there is no reason to be concerned about major tournaments like the T20 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, pointing out that this is the time for players to grow and that success is impossible without failure.
“If we sell criticism, people will buy it because negativity sells easily. What’s the concern? The next World Cup is two years away. The Olympics are also two years away. Let these players play. Let them lose. Without failures, there is no success. This is the time for them to learn. All these Indian T20 players came into the team after the seniors had built a very strong team culture. They came in and went on to win the T20 World Cup. If players aren't allowed to experience failure, we won't produce future legends and champions. Nobody becomes great without failing first. Let them fail,” Ashwin said.
India will next be in action on Tuesday, July 7, in the third T20I of the five-match series against England at Trent Bridge.
