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The wait for Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s India debut is not over yet. Even though many want to see the 15-year-old batting sensation in the playing eleven, India bowling coach Morne Morkel has confirmed that the team management is still backing Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson in the ongoing five-match T20I series against England.
Ahead of the second T20I in Manchester on July 4, Morkel made it clear that India did not want to make changes just because of recent results and believed that players, including the struggling Samson, who have already performed well for the team, deserve more chances.
Morne Morkel explains why India is in no rush to acquire Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Recently, after India’s defeat in the two-match T20 series at the hands of Ireland, the demand for Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s debut had increased considerably. After this, India once again landed in the top order with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.
However, India bowling coach Morne Morkel has stressed that it is not easy to include Vaibhav Suryavanshi in the playing eleven and revealed that the Abhishek Sharma-Sanju Samson pair will be favored in the ongoing five-match T20 series in England.
“I don’t think there are too many factors. We also need to respect the fact that we have the No. 1 batsman in T20 cricket, Abhishek Sharma. Sanju was a player in the World Cup and had a fantastic IPL,” Morkel said in the pre-match press conference.
“As a coaching staff, it’s fair to show confidence and support your players. Yes, there’s a young man knocking on the door, and it’s exciting, but I believe not only for those two players at the top, but for the rest of the group, it’s a good sign that we support you guys.”
“We don’t want to put players out of position”: Morne Morkel on India’s batting order
The former South African fast bowler has said that the team does not want to change the batting positions of other players just to make room for the young player. This means that the left-handed batsman will not get a chance in the second T20 match against England on Saturday. However, Sam Curran revealed England’s plans against Vaibhav.
Morkel further told reporters, “At the end of the day, it’s about putting performances on the board. We don’t want to take players out of position. It’s not as straightforward as saying, ‘Let’s play him.’ It’s a matter of supporting guys who have won the World Cup and performed really well in difficult conditions, then moving on from there and seeing how we can make our top order as strong as possible in these conditions.
Morne Morkel told why Team India is excited about Vaibhav Suryavanshi?
However, the bowling coach admitted that everyone in the Indian camp is excited about the future of Vaibhav Suryavanshi. He said that this young left-handed player has joined the team very quickly and the senior players have welcomed him warmly.
Morkel also praised the teenager’s attitude during the England tour. He told that it can be difficult to join the Indian cricket team at the age of just 15, but Suryavanshi has looked carefree and confident from the beginning.
Even the teenager has impressed everyone during the practice sessions. He signed off by saying, “We’re all excited to see how he progresses, and when he gets his chance, I’m sure he’ll be ready. In terms of coming into the team and fitting in, it’s been very easy.”