Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s much-awaited debut in India has divided the cricket fraternity, with former players debating whether the teenage prodigy is being retained by the team management. Former South African captain AB de Villiers has now joined the conversation, backing the young batsman but disagreeing with the Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschateparagraph.“He (Sooryavanshi) is absolutely ready to play international cricket; there is no doubt about that. But also, Sanju Samson is a guy who has come a long way to help us win the World Cup three months ago,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said.“He had a pretty good IPL, and it’s important to give the players confidence and send a message to the players that we want to give the boys a long run in the team. We are all excited to see Vaibhav play but he has to go through the same process. There is certainly no question about how good he is,” he added.However, AB de Villiers disagrees with that approach.“When will he be released? I thought the Ireland series was the perfect opportunity for him to come in and get a feel for international cricket. It was unfortunate he never got the chance. I don’t agree with Ryan ten Doeschate who says Sooryavanshi has to go through the process like any other player. After the IPL he had, it’s time to throw him in the deep, especially against a lower-ranked team like Ireland, to get some experience,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.Sanju Samson’s struggles in three consecutive innings further boosted Sooryavanshi’s chances on debut. Earlier, cricket legends including Ravi Shastri, Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook also said that Sooryavanshi should have made his debut in the two T20I series against Ireland.On the other side of the debate are Cheteshwar Pujara and Saba Karim, who believe Sooryavanshi’s inclusion should not come at the expense of a proven performer.After a disappointing 2-0 series loss to Afghanistan, India are still looking for a turnaround as they continue their tour of England.
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