NEW DELHI: India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has declared teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fully ready for international cricket, while stressing that the 15-year-old must go through the established team process before earning his debut, even as questions intensify following India’s shock 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland.The omission of Sooryavanshi from the Ireland tour became a major talking point after the T20 world champions were stunned in back-to-back matches, including a dramatic one-run loss in the second game on Sunday.“He (Sooryavanshi) is absolutely ready to play international cricket, there is no doubt about that,” Ten Doeschate said. “But also Sanju Samson is a guy who went a long way to win us the World Cup three months ago.”
‘We are excited… but he has to go through the process’
Ten Doeschate made it clear that India’s approach to the youngster will remain measured despite his explosive domestic rise and record-breaking IPL season.“We are all excited to see Vaibhav play but he has to go through the same process,” he said.The coach emphasised continuity and squad balance, pointing to the need for consistency in selection decisions.“He has got a fairly good IPL, and it is important to give players confidence and message to the players, we want to give guys a long run in the team,” he added.Sooryavanshi’s exclusion has drawn scrutiny given his extraordinary form in the IPL, where he amassed 776 runs at a strike rate exceeding 230, finishing as both the Most Valuable Player and Emerging Player of the season.The teenager’s rise has sparked widespread anticipation that he could soon become India’s youngest international debutant, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
Ireland shock forces reflection after rare whitewash
Ten Doeschate’s comments came after India suffered a stunning series defeat to Ireland, with the visitors failing to chase 155 in the final match despite restricting the hosts to 154/8.“There is a little bit of disbelief. We have just won a World Cup,” he admitted. “We have been outdone, outsmarted by a team which did their basics very well.”The assistant coach acknowledged that India struggled to adapt to conditions, particularly wind and surface movement, while crediting Ireland for executing their plans more effectively.“Ireland did their basics really well and we couldn’t combat that. We are probably too used to tempo style where you can hit sixes more freely. We have to be a lot smarter in these conditions,” he said.
Batting concerns, but no change in philosophy
Despite the collapse in the powerplay proving decisive in both matches, Ten Doeschate resisted calls for a more cautious approach at the top.“I certainly will be very cautious about saying let’s be very careful upfront, that’s not the way we want to play,” he said. “We want to take better options and give ourselves a better chance to dominate in the power play.”India will now turn their attention to a demanding tour of England beginning July 1, where they will play five T20Is and three ODIs, with selection debates around Sooryavanshi expected to intensify further following the Ireland setback.
