Indian teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has impressed with his T20I performances so far. He began with a mediocre England series, scoring 14, 13 and 15, before redeeming his white-ball credentials with a Player of the Series award against Zimbabwe. The 15-year-old smashed 151 runs, including two half-centuries, in three games to announce his arrival at the highest stage. While nobody doubts Sooryavanshi’s white-ball future, many former players and experts share a contrasting opinion when it comes to Test cricket. Sooryavanshi has not been tested with the red ball at the international level, but former England spinner Monty Panesar has given a huge verdict on the India star’s future in the format.
Panesar doesn’t expect Sooryavanshi to shine in Test cricket as he feels the batter doesn’t have the technique required for the format.
“I can’t see Sooryavanshi transitioning to Test cricket. Harry Brook is the only one right now who’s in the top 10 in Tests and T20Is. But I just don’t think Sooryavanshi has got the technique,” the ex-England spinner told Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
However, former Australia captain Michael Clarke had a different opinion as he backed Sooryavanshi to thrive in Test cricket, citing examples of players like AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.
“I think you can still play all three formats. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers showed that. These guys were brilliant Test cricketers and unbelievable T20 cricketers as well. If a player from this generation like Suryavanshi can make the transition into Test cricket, it is going to be unreal to watch. But whether he wants to play Test cricket is going to be a question as well,” said Clarke.
Last month, Sooryavanshi scripted history while playing for the East Zone team in the Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone. At the age of 15 years and 157 days, he became the youngest player to score a half-century in the tournament that is played with the red ball.
Sooryavanshi came out all guns blazing with the bat. He came agonisingly close to becoming the youngest player to score a Duleep Trophy hundred, but was dismissed just eight runs shy of the milestone.
About the Author
