New Delhi, August 22: Former Indian captain Rahul Dravid believes that players like Vaibhav SuryaVanshi are essential for cricket across all formats. Dravid stated that SuryaVanshi requires significant time and exposure in red-ball cricket. Currently, SuryaVanshi is representing the East Zone in the Duleep Trophy.
Dravid shared his insights during an event in Dublin for the unveiling of the European T20 Premier League (ETPL), speaking to Cricinfo. He remarked, “It’s great that Vaibhav is gaining some white-ball cricket experience through the IPL in India, but he also needs time to return to the domestic system and focus on red-ball cricket to advance his red-ball career. This young batsman must find a balance between white-ball and red-ball formats.”
He added, “We all want to see Test cricket thrive and progress. We need players like Vaibhav who can excel in all formats.”
Dravid emphasized, “The good news is that he will need some time and experience. He will have ample opportunities to play red-ball cricket. He has probably played more white-ball cricket than red-ball cricket so far.”
The former Indian captain noted, “He is only 15 years old. I believe we need to give him time and be patient with him. Clearly, he has been very successful from the start, but he will face ups and downs, and I think people need to be patient with him.”
Dravid believes that focusing on domestic red-ball cricket, rather than chasing T20 opportunities, will foster SuryaVanshi’s development as a batsman. Let’s remember that he is just 15 years old and has a long journey ahead. I hope SuryaVanshi can eventually step up to play red-ball cricket at a high level and become an all-format player for India. This would be exciting for global cricket.
So far, SuryaVanshi has played only eight first-class matches, with an average of 17.25. In the Duleep Trophy, he may have the chance to play at least two consecutive first-class matches.
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