NEW DELHI: A growing chorus of former cricketers are calling for teenage sensation Vibhu Suryavanshi to quickly join India’s T20 set-up after his latest. IPL Brave, even cautionary voices warn against hastening his rise.The 15-year-old lit up the Indian Premier League with a 17-ball 52. Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super KingsFifty off 15 balls – 3rd fastest in IPL history. His fearless onslaught came after RR restricted CSK to 127, winning by eight wickets.
Calls to fast track a prodigyFormer Indian batsman Muhammad Kaif He admitted that he was initially wary of the hype surrounding Suryavanshi but now believes the youngster is ready for the next level. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Suryavanshi was getting hyped up too soon. An old-school cricketer, I believe there should be no rush to bring young players up to speed. But a year later, I think he’s ready to graduate to the next level,” Keef wrote, adding that the youngster has “entertainment and the ability to play match-winning knocks.“Echoing that sentiment, the former spinner Piyush Chawla ESPNCricinfo was quoted as saying, “If he plays like this, I’d love to see him speed up.” Chawla highlighted Suryavanshi’s consistency across formats, noting his ability to score not just centuries but “big centuries”.Ambati Rayudu also endorsed the youngster’s immense potential, describing him as “a cut above many youngsters”. However, he hinted at the challenge of breaking the world champion Indian T20 team, saying, “Don’t forget, our Indian team is a world champion team, they won the T20 World Cup, so it’s not easy to replace someone in that team. I think there are a few players ahead of him at the moment, because you tend to pick and build your teams before the next ICC tournament.”“A word of caution from AshwinWhile the accolades are pouring in, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged restraint, stressing the need to manage expectations around the 15-year-old.“Don’t give him such a target. He’s not even a boy, he’s a child,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, stressing that Suryavanshi has time. “If Suryavanshi plays for 40 years, he has two-and-a-half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come into his own when the time is right.”Ashwin, however, was enthusiastic in praising the young man’s talent. “He is too good not to play for India. He will play eventually anyway. When will he play? We have to wait for that. Why are we always in a hurry.”Having already impressed with a record-breaking U-19 World Cup campaign, Suryavanshi’s rapid rise has captured the imaginations of fans and pundits alike. But as the debate heats up, the challenge will be to balance enthusiasm with patience.
