Former batter Aakash Chopra has told the selectors to be patient with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and not push him into the national team just yet. Sooryavanshi continued to grab the headlines with his sensational knock of 97 off 29 balls in the Eliminator against SRH in Mullanpur on Wednesday, May 28.
SRH vs RR: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
This means that Sooryavanshi has scored 680 runs this season at an average of 45.33 and a strike-rate of 242.86. His knock on Wednesday got people talking, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and others chiming in. Michael Vaughan was one of them, and said that India need to pick him.
However, Chopra said that everyone needs to proceed with caution. The former batter said that while his performances need to be taken notice of, Sooryavanshi shouldn’t get into the Indian team at the expense of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who have done well to seal their spot.
“We are still 2 years away from the next World Cup. There will be time. Yes, it’s exciting. It’s something that is there which you cannot possibly ignore because IPL is India’s best T20 tournament. So if somebody is just breaking records, shattering records, you’ve got to take it seriously, and this kid is special. There’s no doubt about it. But then you just don’t make changes for the sake of making changes because somebody else has done well,” said Chopra.
“It’s very simple for somebody to go out; you need to fail that exam. If somebody’s a topper already, how can you just replace the topper because you think somebody else will actually get more grades? I mean, he is a topper.”
‘SOORYAVANSHI ISN’T INDIAN CRICKET, HE IS A PART OF IT’
Samson and Abhishek also had good runs in the IPL this season, scoring 477 runs and 563 runs respectively. Chopra said that if Sooryavanshi is pushed early, then a lean patch for him will mean that the selectors will then be pressured into picking the new kid on the block.
“You’re talking about Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. You’re not replacing them right now because if you were to do that, I can give you in writing, in two or three years, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi goes through a bad patch, you’re going to follow the same principle.”
“The next kid in town, you’ll want to elevate him to this standard. So Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha will face a lot of scrutiny and pressure, but they need to do what is right for Indian cricket, and he represents Indian cricket.
“He’s not Indian cricket. I mean, he is a part of Indian cricket, and I think that fact is not lost on any of the selectors, and they’ll do the right thing, but it doesn’t have to happen tomorrow. It can take time. He’s 20 years ahead of him, so there’s no rush,” said Chopra.
Right after the IPL, Sooryavanshi will be seen in India A colours as the team will tour Sri Lanka for a tri-series.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
