Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not get the dream start to his international career that everyone expected. The 15-year-old sensation scored only 14, 13 and 15 runs in the three T20I matches against England. But despite the poor scores, the Indian team management supported Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
The left-handed opening batsman is expected to get another chance in the upcoming three-match T20 series against Zimbabwe starting on July 23 in Harare. Vaibhav is getting the support of the national selectors and team management due to his fearless batting and aggressive style. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer sent a strong message to Vaibhav Suryavanshi ahead of the Zimbabwe T20I.
Harbhajan Singh calls Vaibhav Suryavanshi an ‘incredible and rare’ talent
Ahead of the opening India vs Zimbabwe T20I series on Thursday, former World Cup spinner Harbhajan Singh has extended his support to Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He pointed out that the youth of the modern age face more pressure than ever before due to social media and constant media attention.
Harbhajan described Vaibhav as a rare talent and said that he had not seen many young players like him. He believes that there is something special about this teenager which makes him different from other players. However, to make a strong comeback after the disappointing England tour, Vaibhav will need a lot of support from captain Shreyas Iyer and interim coach VVS Laxman on this tour.
Harbhajan Singh said on Geostar, “The difference between the youth of today and the youth of that time is the access to media and social media today. Things used to happen then too, but today they are highlighted a bit more. What Vaibhav Suryavanshi is doing today, no one has ever done before. He is incredible, a great talent. I don’t think I have seen or encountered such talent.”
Harbhajan Singh explains why the fearless batsman is changing Indian cricket
The former spinner has said that the modern game is giving more freedom to fearless batsmen, as teams now encourage them to play their natural game rather than asking them to play carefully. He further added, “I think the biggest change is that people are accepting players with a fearless mentality and the way they play the way they want to.”
Harbhajan also shared an interesting anecdote from Vaibhav’s IPL debut. He revealed that before the match, Rahul Dravid asked the youngster what he would do if the first ball was in his hitting area. Vaibhav said with confidence that he will play big shots. Meanwhile, Madan Lal has blamed the selectors for Virat Kohli’s Test retirement.
Harbhajan Singh recalls memorable moments of IPL
The young batsman did exactly the same. He hit a six on the very first ball of his IPL career against Shardul Thakur. That fearless attitude is one of the biggest reasons why the Indian cricket team management continues to support him even after a poor performance in their first series in England.
Harbhajan signed off by saying, “Rahul Dravid was the coach of that team, and he asked Suryavanshi, ‘What will you do on the first ball?’ He said, ‘If the first ball is in my arc, I will break it.’ And he actually did it. He hit a six on the very first ball of his IPL career against Shardul Thakur.
