The Vaibhav Sooryavanshi craze has reached a stage where not only Indians, but even people overseas can’t wait to catch a glimpse of the 15-year-old. Tickets sold out in Ireland, with fans eager to see him in action, but surprisingly, Sooryavanshi did not feature in either of the two T20Is. The action then moved from Belfast to Durham for the England T20Is, yet all Sooryavanshi did was warm the bench. The decision to leave him out was borderline baffling to the likes of Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar, with disbelief spreading to former England captains Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook.
Vaughan, who has been one of Sooryavanshi’s biggest advocates, repeatedly urging the BCCI to find a place for him in India’s squad, was in for an unpleasant surprise when the teenager was again left out. As a result, he said he would not mind asking the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, the million-dollar question.
“We must say to the BCCI and the selector, Ajit, how has he not played against Ireland? Our mate, the Kid,” said Vaughan on the Stick to Cricket podcast, to which Cook replied: “I’m there tomorrow, and I’m driving up as a fan to make sure that the 15-year-old kid plays.”
Over to the BCCI?
In all likelihood, neither Vaughan nor Cook will follow through on their words, but even if they do, the chances of the Indian think tank listening to them are virtually nil. The team management has been clear about its stance that Sooryavanshi must wait until the time is right. For him to break into the XI, either Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson would have to make way. Given their current form and standing in India’s T20I setup, neither is likely to be dropped anytime soon, especially after playing key roles in India’s third T20 World Cup triumph four months ago.
Needless to say, Sooryavanshi’s omission has been a tad surprising. After all, he has enjoyed five remarkable months as a cricketer, first leading India’s Under 19 team to the World Cup title with a blistering 175 in the final, before following it up with a spectacular IPL season. With 776 runs, Sooryavanshi became the youngest ever to win the Orange Cap. Ahead of the Ireland tour, Sooryavanshi was in Sri Lanka representing India A, where his 94 in the final, featuring the fastest half-century in List A cricket, laid the foundation for India’s handsome victory.
