Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The clamour for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India debut continues to grow, but captain Shreyas Iyer believes the spotlight should not come at the expense of those who have already delivered on the biggest stage. Ahead of the England T20I series, Iyer said India’s World Cup-winning seniors have earned the right to be backed despite the teenage sensation waiting in the wings.
The 15-year-old was once again overlooked during India’s disappointing 2-0 T20I series defeat to Ireland, where debut caps instead went to all-rounder Suryansh Shedge and fast bowler Prince Yadav. Speaking ahead of the first T20I against England on Tuesday, Iyer defended the team management’s approach, insisting every player in the current XI had earned their place through consistent performances.
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“Every individual playing in the team has performed; it’s not just one individual who has done it,” Iyer said during the pre-match press conference.
“We need to provide everyone with opportunities and build security so that each individual has confidence going forward into the tournaments.”
The India captain also underlined why the team continues to trust the core group that delivered the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
“Those who helped us win the last World Cup, definitely them. We also have an idea of how to play T20 and consistently play those formats. In a way, I have a lot of pillars to pack.”
The remarks come at a time when pressure is mounting on the selectors and team management to hand Sooryavanshi his long-awaited India debut after the teenage batting sensation remained on the bench for both matches against Ireland.
VAIBHAV’S WAIT GOES ON
Few youngsters have generated as much excitement before making their India debut as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
At just 15 years and 91 days, the left-hander would have become the youngest player ever to represent India in international cricket, men’s or women’s, had he featured against Ireland. Instead, India persisted with a top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, trusting the experience of players who have been central to the side’s recent success.
The reasoning is easy to understand.
Abhishek has established himself as one of India’s most explosive T20 batters, while Samson was among the architects of India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign before enjoying another outstanding IPL season. Replacing either with an uncapped teenager would have been one of the boldest selection calls in recent memory.
Yet the Ireland series also strengthened the argument for change.
Samson managed scores of 0 and 0 across the two matches, while Kishan returned 1 and 12 as India’s batting struggled on testing Belfast surfaces. The defeats not only handed India a surprise 2-0 series loss but also ended their remarkable streak of 16 consecutive T20I bilateral series victories.
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has already maintained that Sooryavanshi must “go through the process” like every other player, while acknowledging the teenager appears ready for international cricket.
England now present an even sterner examination.
Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood and Sonny Baker offer genuine pace, while Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed provide plenty of variety through the middle overs. Chester-le-Street has also traditionally favoured bowlers, with an average first-innings T20I score of just 138, making batting adjustments crucial from the outset.
Whether those conditions finally persuade India to hand Sooryavanshi his debut remains one of the biggest talking points heading into the five-match series.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
