In anticipation of the upcoming five-match T20I series against the West Indies, India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer has highlighted the potential of young cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Iyer appreciates Sooryavanshi's skills but stresses that discussions about his performance should not overshadow his overall development as a player.
Iyer has taken a personal approach in mentoring the teenager, engaging him in conversations that go beyond cricket. He believes that understanding Sooryavanshi’s life outside the game is crucial for his growth. "I keep interacting with Vaibhav in terms of what he does outside the field, because everyone talks to him about cricket, and we know how talented and gifted as an individual he is," Iyer remarked.
Despite Sooryavanshi's inclusion in the squad and considerable talent, Iyer believes that there is no rush to elevate him into a more prominent role at this stage. He pointed out the advantage of having experienced World Cup-winning openers in the team while assuring that the young player will get his chance in due time.
"He’s a very charming, sweet guy to interact with and good to have him around the dressing room. And I know that his time will come, because we have been playing with World Cup-winning openers right now, and they deserve the time out there," Iyer stated, expressing confidence in Sooryavanshi’s future contributions to Indian cricket.
As Iyer seeks to maintain the momentum gained from leading the T20I squad to an Asian Games gold medal, he aims to channel that energy into the series against the Windies, hoping to secure an early victory.
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Edited with AI assistance.
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