Wasim Jaffer On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Former India player and domestic cricket great Wasim Jaffer believes the national selectors fast-tracked Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into international cricket, suggesting the excitement surrounding the teenage batting sensation may have influenced the decision. The 15-year-old was introduced midway through India's T20I series against England with Sanju Samson being dropped, but struggled to make a significant impact before eventually being left out for the final match of the series.
Sharing his views on his YouTube channel, Jaffer said the management should have persisted with Samson instead of rushing Sooryavanshi into the playing XI.
"I think we rushed Vaibhav's inclusion. There was a lot of media hype around him, and the public was very emotional about seeing him play. Otherwise, I had already said that India should have continued with Sanju Samson."
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Jaffer also felt the teenager would have benefited from spending more time around the senior squad before making his debut.
"He's still very young, and he can learn a lot just by being around the team and watching cricket from the outside,"
Sooryavanshi only managed to score only 14, 13 and 15 in his three appearances before India recalled Samson for the fifth T20I.
The move reignited debate over whether the youngster had been brought into the side too early.
The former India batter added that the attention surrounding Sooryavanshi created unnecessary pressure on both the player and the selectors.
"It felt like we got carried away by the media hype. Every time Vaibhav didn't play, there was a lot of discussion about it. I just thought he should have been made to wait."
Despite India's disappointing run, which included T20I series defeats to Ireland and England, Sooryavanshi continues to feature in the team's long-term plans.
The youngster has been retained in India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe later this month, while Samson has been left out.
The selection indicates that the team management still sees Sooryavanshi as a key prospect despite his difficult start to international cricket.
