Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was set to make his debut from the time he was named in the Indian squad as well, said batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Monday. At 15 years and 99 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest Indian player ever to play international cricket when he was named in the playing eleven for the second T20I against England last week as well.
“He was set to debut from the point he came into the team; there is no such thing that he was ready (for his debut only) in the last match,” Kotak said on the eve of the third T20I against England. “For us, it was all about his game, his instincts and the way he plays, and the way he has played all along to get till this point, he should continue playing that.” “I do not think there were any precise instructions (that he’s been given) to do this, or do that,” Kotak added.
He also said that the Indian team is now in a transition phase under a new captain Shreyas Iyer and without a quality all-rounder in Hardik Pandya as well.
“See, our attempt is to improve in all three (departments); batting, bowling, and fielding. (From) the last World Cup which we won, the plan is that if the next World Cup comes in next two years, then how can we reach the next level from this? Because all other teams will also try to get better. In the last two years, we haven’t lost a single series. We won the (T20) World Cup, we won the Asia Cup T20. (But) after losing two (three) matches, so many people have said ‘they are losing now’,” Kotak said.
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“It is (the nature of the) game. Sometimes, when there is a transition — the captain has changed, Hardik is not there, (and) you are trying to introduce 3-4 young players — even then, it should not happen, but such things can happen. The Indian team’s efforts remain the same. Everyone has their limitations, but we always try that (to improve) in batting, bowling, and fielding. If we are looking at winning the next World Cup, we will have to get better. We have to do better than what we have done in the last World Cup,” Kotak again said.
Kotak also said a fast bowling all-rounder is always important in T20 cricket and in the absence of Hardik Pandya, other players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and even Suryansh Shedge are being given the chance as well.
“In T20, pace bowling all-rounders play a very important role if you count one as the sixth bowler,” Kotak said. “In this team, there is Suryansh, who did well in the IPL. With all these young players, all 15 players might not get to play but, at least if they are with the team, they will get used to the environment. In between, there is a lot of cricket, domestic, and IPL,” he added.
“The way Hardik performs and the quality and the experience he has, to match that, Nitish (injured now) is getting experience. Suryansh, he has just joined the team. But if you look at the process, the BCCI, the selectors, and the team management always try to prepare the best for an event even if it is two years away,” he concluded.
