New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Former India opener Virender Sehwag traced his famed daredevilry in Vaibhahav Sooryavanshi’s batting, and said the teen phenom should focus on stitching a long career for the country.
Sehwag, owner of 17253 international runs, stands way ahead of the 15-year-old who has scored 246 runs from eight T20Is but at a blistering strike-rate of 186.
“Sooryavanshi is in his prime, and his thinking is somewhat similar to mine, that of hitting right from the first ball. Now, it is about when he gets the opportunity and how many matches he plays for India,” Sehwag said during a discussion at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual session here on Saturday.
The 47-year-old said age should not be a matter of concern if a player is good enough to handle top-flight cricket.
“Look, if you are playing in an age-category, it makes sense — if it’s Under-19, your age should be under 19. But once you play the IPL or play for India, age doesn’t matter.
“A 38-or 40-year-old (Virat) Kohli is playing, and a 15-year-old (Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi is also playing. Then, performance matters,” Sehwag said.
The 2011 World Cup winner also lauded India captain Shubman Gill for his second career double hundred in ODIs.
Gill struck a 223 off 133 balls against the West Indies in the second one-dayer at Guwahati on September 30.
“These days many players are performing really well. One of them is Shubman Gill, who is playing so well. He is also the captain of
India’s Test and ODI sides. He broke Sunil Gavaskar’s record in England by scoring more than 700 runs, and recently, he scored his second double century in ODIs. It is not easy,” he said.
During India’s tour to England in 2025, Gill scored 754 across five Tests, going past Gavaskar’s tally of 732 runs made against the West Indies in the 1978-79 season.
According to Sehwag, a strong showing by the bowlers could help India win the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
“Among our fast bowlers, we have Bumrah, who is the best we have. If our bowling attack stays strong in the World Cup, then we can win it very easily,” he concluded. PTI HS UNG
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.