India spin great Anil Kumble says RR’s teenaged opener Sooryavanshi is enjoying his batting and need not be rushed into national set-up just yet
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Pic/IPL
Former India captain and legendary spinner Anil Kumble has no doubt that teenaged batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, is on the radar of the national selectors. However, he has cautioned against rushing the attacking left-hander into the senior India team.
Before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Rajasthan Royals match on Friday, RR opener Sooryavanshi, had played 10 IPL games, hammering 374 runs at a strike rate of 218.71, including one century and a couple of half-centuries. He also smashed world-class Mumbai Indians pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult, scoring a 14-ball 39 (1x4, 5x6) at Guwahati last Tuesday.
Anil Kumble during an event at CCI on Friday. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Kumble is convinced Sooryavanshi will play for India sooner rather than later. “Every player has his own journey. Some of these start at 15, some start at 28. For Vaibhav, it could be sometime this year, it could be next year, or maybe a couple of years later. But I’m sure, the way he’s batting, he will be someone the [national] selectors will be watching closely,” Kumble said during a Barclays event at the Cricket Club of India on Friday.
Kumble, who claimed 619 Test scalps and 337 ODI dismissals, recalled another Indian prodigy. “Sachin Tendulkar, when he came into the scene, every time he walked out as a 14-year-old or a 15-year-old, he was scoring hundreds. I’m sure, Vaibhav is certainly doing all the right things. At this point, it’s a bit of pressure on a young lad to say, ‘look, I want you to play for India in two months.’ It may happen or may not, but he’s having a wonderful time. Even 10 years later, he will still be 25. That’s the best part about someone, who is doing so well at 15,” added Kumble.
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