‘Great example for youngsters like him’ - Dilip Vengsarkar urges Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to emulate Sachin Tendulkar’s discipline ahead of India debut

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has now thrown his weight behind the 15-year-old, expressing confidence that the youngster has the talent to succeed at the highest level while urging him to follow the example set by Sachin Tendulkar.

Sooryavanshi is on the verge of creating history during India’s ongoing T20I series against Ireland. If the left-handed batter gets an opportunity in the remaining matches, he will become the youngest player to represent India in men’s international cricket, breaking Tendulkar’s long-standing record. The legendary batter made his debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16, whereas Sooryavanshi could achieve the feat a year earlier.

There was widespread anticipation that the teenager would make his debut in the opening T20I in Belfast. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer decided to stick with the successful opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, leaving Sooryavanshi out of the playing XI.

While acknowledging the teenager’s immense potential, Vengsarkar stressed that Sooryavanshi should learn from the qualities that helped Tendulkar enjoy one of the greatest careers in cricket history.

“When I watched Sachin Tendulkar play, he looked mentally mature for his age. He did extremely well in inter-school tournaments in Mumbai, besides club cricket, where he scored consistently,” Vengsarkar was quoted as saying by Times of India.

“He was mentally prepared to play a higher level of cricket, so that is how we picked him. He was so disciplined, passionate, and focused, and that is a great example for youngsters like Vaibhav to emulate,” he added.

Abhishek on how Indian team is taking care of Vaibhav

Although Sooryavanshi is still awaiting his maiden India cap, Vengsarkar believes the opportunity is not far away and backed the youngster to make an immediate impact whenever he gets his chance.

“I am sure he will get the opportunity, and once he gets it, he will grab it with both hands because he is a very good player. He is just unbelievable,” Vengsarkar said.

Ireland registered a famous win over India in the first T20I, defending a total of 182. Whether Vaibhav gets a chance in the playing XI for the second T20I  remains to be seen.