Irfan Pathan identifies the biggest test for India’s youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of third T20I vs England

Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a confident start to his international career, but former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the youngster’s biggest challenge is only just beginning. With opposition teams now getting a closer look at his game, Pathan feels the 15-year-old will need to keep evolving while staying true to his attacking style.

Irfan Pathan expects bowlers to target Sooryavanshi differently

Speaking ahead of the third T20I against England, Pathan said Sooryavanshi has the talent to succeed at the highest level, but warned that rival bowlers will soon begin making detailed plans against him.

“He is a special talent, no doubt, but he needs to make sure he is ready for the plans bowlers will come up with against him,” Pathan told Jio Hotstar.

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“Like in the first game, if you want to step out against the spinners in England, it’s not a bad option since the ball doesn’t turn that much there, but you need to maintain your balance and not move too far away from the ball,” he added.

Pathan backs youngster to continue playing his natural game

Sooryavanshi scored 14 runs from 10 balls on his T20I debut before being dismissed by spin. While the innings was short, Pathan was happy to see the youngster stick to his fearless approach instead of changing his game under pressure.

“He will be disappointed that he got out for 14 after facing 10 balls, so even in terms of strike rate, he fell a bit short of the standards he has set for himself. But I liked that he didn’t shy away from playing his natural game. A 15-year-old boy playing international cricket is not just the biggest takeaway for the Indian team from that game, but for world cricket. He is inspiring a whole new generation of young boys and girls by saying, ‘If I can do it, you can do it too’,” he said.

Read Must: BCCI finally responds to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut delay debate, defends Gambhir & Iyer’s decision

15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has retained his place in the Indian squad after becoming the youngest cricketer to debut for India.

India’s squad for Zimbabwe T20I: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarathy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (WK).

India eye series-levelling win against England

India will now shift their focus to the third T20I against England on Tuesday, where they will be aiming to level the series. The team management will also be hoping Sooryavanshi continues to gain valuable experience as he begins his international journey against top-quality opposition.