Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could get sidelined yet again when playing against Japan for the one-off T20 match.
The recent T20 series against Afghanistan was a big blow to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He might have been a part of the Indian squad, but he was benched for all three matches against Afghanistan. Instead of him, the team management decided to put emphasis on Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for the entire series. The same scenario might be repeating once again in Japan. India is set to play a one-off T20 match against the Asian Games host, but Sooryavanshi may not get to be a part of the starting XI for the game.
While Sooryavanshi earned his international debut for the Indian cricket team after an amazing performance in the IPL, he is not being provided with better chances to provide himself in crucial matches yet. The bilateral series against Afghanistan was the perfect opportunity for him to show he performs under pressure. Many experts warned Indian selectors that they were wasting his talent by not letting his play. It seems like the same story is continuing forward in the Asian Games.
Sooryavanshi is a crucial asset for the 2027 World Cup
Sooryavanshi’s debut for India came during India’s tour of Ireland and England. His performance was rather average during his first few matches, and he dropped from the team. But he did make a heroic comeback during the face-off against Zimbabwe.
After hitting a half-century off 19 balls during the first T20 against Zimbabwe, Sooryvanshi became the youngest player in international cricket to do so. He would also earn the player of the series award for his performance during the series.
Very soon India will be preparing for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. The selection committee from BCCI has already started to take notes of the best performing players. Sooryavanshi does not have a lot of experience under his belt currently. As a young player, he is probably eager to showcase his potential in every match he can. Naturally, the Indian team will also try to rely on him during important matches. So if Sooryavanshi does not bat for the Indian team more than he is already, he won’t be able to deliver when it actually matters.
This is exactly what the Indian cricket experts are warning against. To make perfect use of talent like Sooryavanshi, the selection committee needs to allow him the liberty to make mistakes when he can. There’s no point in experimenting with Sooryavanshi during a crucial tournament like the World Cup and expecting him to create miracles.
