R Ashwin Explains Why It Was Good For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi To Not Make Debut vs Ireland: "Watch The Mistakes"
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received a huge learning experience despite not playing against Ireland.
- Ravichandran Ashwin stated why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not debuting against Ireland wasn't a bad thing
- "If Sooryavanshi played and failed, everything would be reversed," Ashwin pointed out
- "Mmost valuable lessons are learned when you sit and watch mistakes of high-performing individuals," he added
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was not handed his highly-anticipated senior India debut in the team's recent 0-2 T20I series defeat to Ireland, and calls over his inclusion in the side have ramped up following India's shock losses. However, legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has provided a different perspective to the matter. Ashwin stated that the narrative could've been completely the opposite had Sooryavanshi played but failed to perform. He further said that Sooryavanshi is only benefitting by watching the mistakes of his teammates from close quarters.
"Let's say Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was given his debut against Ireland, but he played and failed in these two matches, would this (narrative) be reversed? In all honesty, everything would be reversed. Everyone would say, 'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi can hit in the IPL, but he can't play in seaming, sporting conditions'," Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin said that the chances of failure increase when one tries to play an aggressive brand of T20 cricket in seaming conditions.
"In such conditions - be it Vaibhav, Abhishek or Sanju - if you play in the same T20 template, there will be chances of getting out. That is why I said that it is not a bad experience to sit outside, within the team environment. You're learning from somebody else's experience," Ashwin added.
Ashwin explained why Sooryavanshi sitting on the sidelines is not a bad thing for the 15-year-old.
"You can ask anyone. The most free and most valuable lessons can be learned when you sit in close quarters and watch the mistakes of high-performing individuals. You won't get a better platform than that," he stated.
Sooryavanshi is also included in India's squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England. The series begins on Wednesday, July 1. It will be interesting to see whether the 15-year-old is handed an India debut in the series.
Ravichandran Ashwin
India Cricket Team