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Vaibhav Suryavanshi is getting a lot of support from fans after missing out on making his debut for India on the Ireland tour, but former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu believes that the selectors should not rush to include the 15-year-old in every format. After the Bollywood star questioned Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s neglect, Rayudu feels India should be patient with such a young player.
There were high expectations that Vaibhav would make his debut for India on the Ireland tour, but the team management went with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for both the matches. However, the Men in Blue suffered an embarrassing 2-0 defeat in the T20I series in Ireland.
Ambati Rayudu wants Vaibhav Suryavanshi to focus only on T20Is for now
Amid huge uproar over the insult, Ambati Rayudu said that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has a very bright future but he also feels that there is a proper time and place for everything. The former Chennai Super Kings batsman stressed that the teenager must first establish himself in T20Is before India start thinking about him as an option in ODI cricket ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Rayudu said that the Indian team already has a strong option in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal for the third opener in ODI cricket. He stressed that Yashasvi should get the role because he has already shown that he can perform at the highest level and deserves the chance.
Ambati Rayudu backs Yashasvi Jaiswal as India’s third ODI opener
“In ODI cricket, I think Jaiswal should be ahead of anyone else as the third opener. It should be Jaiswal. He should be given enough opportunity to prepare before the World Cup,” Ambati Rayudu told a select group of journalists as quoted by Sportskeeda.
For me, Vaibhav Suryavanshi being in T20 is a good sign and he should start from here. Those who have performed well in that format should be continued before Suryavanshi. Meanwhile, Iceland Cricket has made fun of Gautam Gambhir after the loss in the Ireland T20 match.
He also backed Rohit Sharma to remain a part of India’s plans for the ICC World Cup 2026. “I think Rohit should be retained and not rated too much. He should be rotated depending on what he feels at that time and what his load management might be,” Rayudu shared.
“He did the right thing”- Ambati Rayudu on ignoring Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Talking about Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Rayudu said that being selected in the Indian team is a big achievement in itself. He also believes that T20 cricket is the most suitable format for youngsters to start their international career as his fearless batting style is suitable for the shortest format.
However, the former Indian batsman supported the team management’s decision of not picking Vaibhav during the Ireland series. The cricket pundit also said that Vaibhav still got something valuable from the Ireland tour and feels that the teenager may get a chance during the upcoming five-match T20 series in England.
Rayudu further said, “I think he did the right thing. It is a good learning for Suryavanshi to be in the dressing room, so that he knows what is required to play in the Indian team and what will be his role.”
“There will be a lot to learn, and when he finally gets his chance, he will be better prepared. He deserves the chance because he has performed well and won the World Cup for India. So, he should be continued.”
“Don’t tamper with anything” – Ambati Rayudu on Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s batting style
The former batsman also gave an important message for the coaches, saying that they should not try to change Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s batting style.
He concluded by saying, “For now, don’t tinker with anything too much, because you don’t really want to push him into second-guessing his shots. Learning will be on the way, but he should really play his natural game and stick to that. He may not perform as well with the ball as he did in Ireland.”
