Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was among the three Indian players who attended the optional practice session ahead of the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins in New Delhi on Sunday. Tilak Varma, who arrived earlier in the day, and Abhishek Sharma were the other two players who trained at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir, bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, Sooryavanshi was the first player to take the nets. He spent considerable time receiving feedback from Kotak, with some of their conversations lasting close to 20 minutes.
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The 15-year-old from Bihar later took part in catching and fielding drills. A slight drizzle interrupted the session, forcing the groundstaff to bring out the covers, but Sooryavanshi had another lengthy discussion with Gambhir and Kotak before the session ended.
The interactions appeared to indicate that Sooryavanshi could be in contention for the series opener. However, India face a selection dilemma at the top of the order, with the youngster competing with Sanju Samson for a place alongside Abhishek.
India skipper Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the difficulty of the call.
“Having all three of them in the team is a luxury. They are flawless in their own departments. It is going to be a tight call because they have been performing consistently. Whoever gets the opportunity, it’s for the team’s benefit,” Iyer said.
He added that players outside the playing XI must also be kept confident and assured of opportunities when their chance arrives.
Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran, who will lead the side in T20Is for the first time, also highlighted the threat posed by Sooryavanshi. The left-hander has already been placed on Afghanistan’s radar following his Orange Cap-winning IPL campaign, and Zadran said his team had prepared plans for him.
Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in the IPL but endured an indifferent beginning to international cricket, managing 14, 13 and 15 in his three T20Is against England. He was replaced by Samson for the dead rubber in Southampton.
The youngster responded strongly in Zimbabwe, finishing as the series’ leading run-scorer with 151 runs, including an 18-ball fifty and an 81 off 49 balls.
He did face a stern examination during Friday’s practice session, however, when India’s batters faced a mix of spin and pace. Sooryavanshi found Jasprit Bumrah’s pace difficult to handle, with the ball seaming off the surface and beating his bat several times.
Afghanistan, though, do not possess a bowler of Bumrah’s quality, making Sooryavanshi’s aggressive approach a potentially valuable option under Delhi’s hot and humid conditions.
Injury concerns add to India’s selection headache
India’s other concern is the growing injury list with the Asian Games in Japan approaching. Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy are all returning to cricket after spending time away from the field.
Iyer said the injury situation was not frustrating but reflected the demanding workload placed on modern cricketers.
“We need to understand the amount of matches a player is playing continuously, rigorously. He’s bound to get injured some way or the other because the intensity is pretty high,” he said.
Iyer stressed that injuries are not deliberate and that players can only focus on those available on a particular day.
“Talking about the combination, I feel that it certainly impacts the combination, but we know how all the players are. Even if there is a backup, he’s equally important for the team, and we know that they can deliver as well,” he added.
