NEW DELHI: Assistant coach of India Ryan ten Doeschate has declared teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fully fit for international cricket, while stressing that the 15-year-old must go through an established team process before earning his debut, even as questions intensify after India’s shock 0-2 loss to Ireland in the T20I series.Sooryavanshi’s omission from the tour of Ireland became a major talking point after the world T20 champions were stunned in back-to-back matches, including a dramatic one-run defeat in the second game on Sunday.“He (Sooryavanshi) is absolutely ready to play international cricket, there’s no doubt about that,” Ten Doeschate said. “But then Sanju Samson is the guy who came a long way to win us the World Cup three months ago.”
‘We’re excited… but he has to go through the process’
Ten Doeschate made it clear that India’s approach to the youngster will remain measured despite his explosive domestic rise and record-breaking IPL season.“We are all excited to see Vaibhav play, but he has to go through the same process,” he said.The coach emphasized the continuity and balance of the team, pointing out the need for consistency in selection decisions.“He’s had a pretty good IPL and it’s important to give the players confidence and a message to the players, we want to give the boys a long run in the team,” he added.Sooryavanshi’s dismissal drew attention given his outstanding form in the IPL, where he amassed 776 runs at a strike rate of over 230, finishing as both the Most Valuable Player and the Rising Player of the Season.The teenager’s rise has fueled widespread expectations that he could soon become India’s youngest international debutant, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
Irish shock forces reflection after a rare whitewash
Ten Doeschate’s comments came after India suffered an incredible run of defeats against Ireland, with the visitors failing to chase down 155 in the final game despite restricting the hosts to 154/8.“There is a bit of disbelief. We just won the World Cup,” he admitted. “He outplayed us, outplayed a team that did their fundamentals very well.”The assistant coach admitted that India struggled to adapt to the conditions, particularly the wind and surface movement, while crediting Ireland for executing their plans more effectively.“Ireland did their fundamentals really well and we couldn’t fight that. We’re probably too used to a tempo style where you can hit more sixes. We have to be a lot smarter in these conditions,” he said.
Care about the shots, but no change in philosophy
Despite a powerplay collapse that proved crucial in both matches, Ten Doeschate resisted calls for a more cautious approach up top.“I’m certainly going to be very careful when I say let’s be very careful going forward, that’s not the way we want to play,” he said. “We want to take advantage of better opportunities and give ourselves a better chance to dominate the power play.”India will now turn their attention to a demanding tour of England starting July 1, where they will play five T20Is and three ODIs, with the selection debates surrounding Sooryavanshi expected to further intensify after the debacle in Ireland.
