De Villiers Unsure Vaibhav Suryavanshi Will Pursue Red-Ball Cricket

AB de Villiers has said he cannot be sure whether Vaibhav Suryavanshi will pursue a red-ball career, even though he regards the teenager as a wonderful talent.

White-ball brilliance

Suryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 IPL matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30, establishing himself as one of the game’s most explosive young batters. His career numbers outside red-ball cricket are strong: averages above 44 in both List A and T20 cricket, with strike rates of 164.95 and 220.44 respectively.

The red-ball question

Speaking to NDTV, de Villiers said the red-ball question is one he cannot answer. In his view Suryavanshi could succeed if he wanted to, but the real question is whether he wants to. Time will tell, he said, and the talent is not in doubt, although it will not always be easy.

The numbers explain some of the doubt. Suryavanshi has played only eight first-class matches and averages 17.25 across 12 innings, with a single half-century.

De Villiers added that if the teenager does choose red-ball cricket there will be challenges, but he has the skill to work through them. He said he hopes Suryavanshi tries it, though he doubts it will happen.

As India keep an eye on their emerging talents in every format, the youngster’s long-term place in Test cricket is likely to remain a talking point.