Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his support behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after some critics questioned his ability against the short ball following a few struggles on the England tour. The 15-year-old has earned widespread praise for his fearless batting style, taking on bowlers from the outset with an aggressive mindset. While that approach has occasionally led to dismissals, particularly while attempting upper cuts over third man or pull shots.
Ashwin dismissed the criticism, pointing out that even Australian great Ricky Ponting was dismissed by the short ball during his illustrious career. Stressing that every batter has strengths and weaknesses, the former India off-spinner said Sooryavanshi is still learning against world-class fast bowlers and should not be judged after only a handful of international matches. He added that the enormous expectations surrounding the 15-year-old have led to unfair scrutiny.
“There was nothing different about him. He is the same player. And there is no need for him to show himself differently. Why do we want that? He is a good player as he is. People spoke about the short ball stuff. Did Ricky Ponting never get out to the short ball? We must understand that someone has different strengths and weaknesses. All these things are common. How many times has Vaibhav played Jofra in England before? These are all experiences. We cannot write off anybody just like that. The problem is that expectations from him have skyrocketed, so we want him to perform every game,” he said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
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Meanwhile, after a quiet start to his international career during the England T20Is, the young opener responded in emphatic fashion on the Zimbabwe tour. Sooryavanshi rediscovered his best form, scoring 151 runs in three matches to finish as the Player of the Series and further strengthen his credentials at the senior international level.
“I liked the fact that the wicket was a bit slow and the ball was also spinning. He adapted so well. He was going at a much lesser strike rate. He was stepping out and hitting the spinners. All those are very commendable qualities. A small kid can’t hit a spinner while standing on this wicket, so he used his feet. This is a very mature thing. His learning curve is so good that if he sits outside and observes all this, he will become an even stronger player. That was my intention (on saying he can sit out). He is going to be a phenomenal player. Let him evolve, give him time,” Ashwin said,
“There will be ups and downs”
Concluding his assessment, the veteran all-rounder expressed confidence that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the temperament and ability to succeed despite the inevitable ups and downs of international cricket. The former India spinner also praised the teenager’s rapid rate of improvement, calling his development at such a young age exceptional and unlike anything he has witnessed before.
“He will be consistent. His standard performance will not come here. There will be ups and downs. He will be consistent in both cricket and life. So, I think, all in all, he has a lot of ability. And he has shown how he can adapt. In IPL, I have said this so many times in commentary and review that his improvement graph is at a different level. For a 15- 16-year-old kid, I have never seen such an improvement graph. And that is exceptional,” he concluded.
