Aakash Chopra Urges Patience with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has advised selectors to exercise caution regarding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s potential entry into the national team. Sooryavanshi made waves with a stunning performance, scoring 97 runs off just 29 balls during the Eliminator match against SRH in Mullanpur.
This impressive effort has brought Sooryavanshi’s total runs this season to 680, with an average of 45.33 and a remarkable strike rate of 242.86. His performance has caught the attention of cricket legends like Sachin Tendulkar, while former England captain Michael Vaughan commented on the necessity of including him on the national team.
Chopra, however, emphasizes that patience is key. He believes that even though Sooryavanshi’s achievements deserve recognition, his selection shouldn’t come at the cost of established players like Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who have consistently performed well.
“We still have two years until the next World Cup. There’s no hurry,” Chopra stated. “While it’s exciting to see records being broken, we shouldn’t make changes just for the sake of it. Replacing top performers on a whim could backfire.”
Chopra compared the situation to a school exam, saying, “If someone is already excelling, you can’t just replace them because you think someone else might do better.” Both Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have also shown great form this IPL season, amassing 477 and 563 runs, respectively.
Chopra cautioned that rushing Sooryavanshi into the team could put undue pressure on him if he later struggles. “If you replace established players now, and he faces a rough patch down the line, the selectors will be tempted to bring in the next promising player,” he explained.
He reassured fans that Sooryavanshi is certainly a part of Indian cricket’s future, but there’s no necessity for urgency. “He has a bright future ahead of him, so let’s allow time for things to unfold naturally,” Chopra added.
Following the IPL, Sooryavanshi will represent India A in a tri-series tour to Sri Lanka.
