Former Indian opening batter and commentator Aakash Chopra showered praise on the Indian team management, headed by Gautam Gambhir, for opting to go ahead with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an opener in the third T20I against New Zealand on Tuesday, October 27.
Speaking during a discussion on Cricinfo, Chopra asserted that the teen batter shouldn’t be put under extreme pressure and should be allowed to bat at his preferred opening position. Notably, Sooryavanshi batted at No.3 in the second T20I.
“I personally felt, because I was advocating that if you’re going to play Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, you must make a place for him as an opener. Obviously, while playing international cricket, you don’t want to talk about age, but he’s 15. A 15-year-old kid should only be given that much pressure to handle. International cricket is already a lot of pressure,” Chopra said on Cricinfo.
“So if anybody has to move around in the batting order, it should be the other people. I mean, it should be Abhishek, Sanju Samson, or Ishan Kishan, or whoever else. If I’m going to play a 15-year-old kid at this level, I will give him the spot that he’s most comfortable at, and that is opening for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Chopra added.
Chopra further noted that if Sooryavanshi opens the innings, the No. 3 position could spark a major debate. Sanju Samson batted at that spot in the third T20I, but Ishan Kishan has also impressed in the role.
“So I think this is where he belongs. Yes, it’s going to be a tough call. Who bats at three? What happens when Ishan Kishan comes in? Okay, that’s a discussion for another day. But Vaibhav, whenever he plays, he must open,” he concluded.
