Ravichandran Ashwin has offered strong praise for Rajasthan Royals opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the 15-year-old has the game to flourish well beyond the IPL, including in Test cricket.
A fast start in Jaipur
Sooryavanshi made 36 from only 16 balls against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur, hitting three fours and three sixes. He went after Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada in the powerplay, giving Royals an early push in their chase.
Ashwin, speaking on JioHotstar, said the youngster was taking on every bowler, and that he would happily watch him play Test matches as well as the other two formats.
Let him play freely
The former India off-spinner also asked observers not to burden Sooryavanshi with needless pressure so early in his career. He stressed that the batter is only 15 and ought to be allowed to express himself naturally.
Ashwin pointed back to the left-hander’s 175 in the recent Under-19 World Cup final as proof of his appeal. He called Sooryavanshi a “box-office player” whose aggressive approach and clean hitting can draw a crowd, adding that he puts everything into his strokes and showed in that final that he can entertain fans anywhere.
