Mumbai, Oct 31:
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya has backed young Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the 15-year-old should be allowed to play his natural game without being burdened by expectations. Describing him as a good investment for the future of Indian cricket, Jayasuriya said India should nurture his talent and give him the freedom to express himself.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the jersey launch of the Indian Softball Cricket League teams Mumbai Royals and Maharashtra Super Strikers, Jayasuriya said Sooryavanshi had a long way to go but possessed immense potential. “He has a long way to go but he is a good future for India. Let him play his natural game and let him do his work and it will be a good investment for Indian cricket,” he said.
Jayasuriya also praised India’s batting resources and singled out Abhishek Sharma for his versatility. Describing the left-handed opener as an all-round player in terms of batting ability, he said Abhishek had the capacity to score runs all around the ground. He added that several Indian players were performing well and it was encouraging to see their talent and hard work translating into results.
The former Sri Lankan opener also expressed confidence in his team’s preparations ahead of its white-ball tour of India in December. Sri Lanka are set to face Pakistan in the final of the ongoing tri-series, which also features England. Jayasuriya said the team’s recent performances had boosted its confidence ahead of the India tour and hoped the players would maintain their form.
Commenting on the growing dominance of batters in white-ball cricket, Jayasuriya welcomed the trend of teams posting huge totals and successfully chasing them. Referring to Sri Lanka’s recent successful chase of 430 runs against England in an ODI, he said such performances were good for the game. However, he acknowledged that the increasing confidence of batting sides and changes in playing conditions and regulations were putting bowlers under greater pressure.