‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have to wait for first 3 games’:Pujara challenges 15-year-old, ‘what he did in the IPL, won’t be easy in English conditions’

Ahead of the England T20I series, former India Test batter Cheteshwar Pujara has shared his insight on why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have to wait for his international debut. He believes that Sooryavanshi won’t straightaway make his debut during the England T20I series. Pujara has also discussed the challenges Shreyas Iyer faces in winning his first T20I series as a captain. Earlier, India suffered a whitewash against Ireland in a two-match T20I series in Belfast. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi couldn’t get an opportunity to showcase his potential at the international level despite many expectations. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer is desperate to win his first series as India’s new T20I captain. ‘Sooryavanshi straightaway won’t get chance in England series’: Cheteshwar Pujara Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Game Plan’, JioStar expert Cheteshwar Pujara shared his insight on why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his India debut. He said, “There is a lot of hype around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. As a young player, he shouldn’t pay attention to what is being said about him. He needs to block out the outside noise and focus on his game.” “But even if he is mentally ready, selection is a different matter. I don’t think he will get a chance straight away in the England series because India wouldn’t want to change their top three,” Pujara continued. Cheteshwar added further, “Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan are quality batters who have helped India win the T20 World Cup. So, Vaibhav may have to wait for the first three games. If the opportunity arrives, the key for him will be to stay relaxed and calm.” He also warned Sooryavanshi as he believes English condition won’t be easy to adapt. He said, “What he (Vaibhav) did in the IPL won’t be easy to replicate in English conditions. So, he needs to prepare well and get used to the conditions. Once he has done that, it will be about watching the ball and playing it on its merit. Everything else will fall into place.” Pujara on Shreyas Iyer’s challenges as a captain to win T20I series When asked on Shreyas Iyer and his challenges to defeat England in the upcoming T20I series, Pujara said, “It is going to be challenging for Shreyas Iyer to become the third Indian skipper after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to win a T20I series in England. There is no doubt about that. Playing in English conditions, even with better white-ball pitches, is still a different kind of challenge.” “Shreyas is leading the Indian team for the first time, and he is playing T20Is after a two-year gap. So, the challenge is real. But as a captain, I don’t have doubts about him. He has done a great job with Punjab Kings in the IPL, and that is why he has been given this role,” he continued further. Cheteshwar further concluded, “He is a proactive leader, leads from the front, and gives freedom to his players. So as a captain, he should be fine. The real test will be with his batting. He will have to prove himself in the middle order and deliver in English conditions.” ‘Archer has slight edge over Sooryavanshi’: Greame Swann Former England off-spinner, Graeme Swann, has backed speedster Jofra Archer against Sooryavanshi. He said, “It’s hard to prepare against for a player likeVaibhav Sooryavanshi. He has looked almost unplayable. The one bowler who might have a slight advantage is Jofra Archer. He has seen Sooryavanshi from the dugout, bowled to him in the nets, and watched him closely.” “Some of the England bowlers may have bowled to him in the IPL. But the truth is, no one has really had much success against him so far. But so far, no matter who has bowled to Sooryavanshi, no matter how highly rated the bowler, he has always had an answer,” Swann concluded.