Sanjay Manjrekar Hits Bullseye On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Test Call-Up: "Others Ready To Make Way?"
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in stunning form in the IPL this season, with the teenager amassing 404 runs in 10 matches at an average of 40.4.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has done more than enough to ignite calls for his selection into the Indian T20I team. Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar admitted that while Sooryavanshi has impressed everyone with his aggressive and fearless batting approach in white-ball cricket, his inclusion in the Test team might take more time due to the long list of openers waiting in the pipeline. Sooryavanshi has been in stunning form in the IPL this season, with the teenager amassing 404 runs in 10 matches at an average of 40.4.
"Looking at IPL as a platform to stake a claim for the Indian T20 team and keeping an eye on his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, where he has a hundred [vs Maharashtra], I think he has done enough," said Manjrekar.
"If someone is lighting up this stage like this, then he (Sooryavanshi) is ready. He might be ready, but are the others ready to make way? Because there is a huge crowd for the opening slots in India," he added.
Manjrekar observed that Sooryavanshi is part of the new breed of fearless batters who create room for themselves to manoeuvre. However, the cricketer-turned-commentator warned that the same approach might not work in Test cricket.
"Take consistent T20 batters in recent years, Sooryavanshi stays leg side and hits a ball on middle stump through point because he creates that room. In Tests, the advice is to get close to the ball," he said.
Meanwhile, Sooryavanshi is just six sixes away from overtaking Abhishek Sharma's record for most sixes by an Indian batter during a single edition of the IPL.
Sooryavanshi could achieve this massive six-hitting record during his side's match against Gujarat Titans on Saturday. The record for highest sixes by an Indian batter during a single edition of the IPL is in hands of Abhishek, who cracked 42 sixes alongside 36 fours in the 2024 IPL season.
(With ANI Inputs)
Rajasthan Royals
India Cricket Team