India’s young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s form has sparked a big debate in Indian cricket. His childhood coach Manish Ojha believes he is ready to be part of India’s T20I squad. Ojha feels the 14-year-old’s brilliant performances make him ready for the big stage.
Speaking to IndiaToday.in, the coach backed Vaibhav for an early international debut, especially in the T20 format. “In my opinion, he’s absolutely ready, at least for the Indian T20 team,” Manish said after Vaibhav scored 171 against the UAE in a U19 World Cup match in Dubai. He highlighted the level of competition Vaibhav has already faced, saying, “Look at the IPL — most bowlers he faced were international bowlers, and the rest were top domestic bowlers. He was executing his shots beautifully against them.”
Manish believes delaying the opportunity is not necessary given his brilliant form. “It’s up to the BCCI to decide, but in my view, he’s ready for T20Is and even ODIs. Given the way he’s playing, he should be given a chance sooner rather than later. It would be a record for India and a huge encouragement for a young player,” Manish said.
He is also confident that the pressure of international cricket will not affect Vaibhav’s form. “He’ll handle it easily,” Manish said. “In the IPL, he played in front of massive crowds, as loud and intense as any India match. But he played normally, stuck to his game, and didn’t show hesitation, nervousness or anxiety. He was completely calm.”
Manish also praised Vaibhav’s growing maturity. “His maturity level has increased,” he said. “Now he’s adding a new dimension: when the team requires it, especially in longer formats, he’s trying to stay at the crease and build big scores.”
Manish also praised the support Vaibhav received from Rahul Dravid. “He spoke about how to handle himself, how to maintain distance from the media, and not get involved in glamour. He spoke about developing his game and staying focused… Everything else is a byproduct of performance. If you don’t score runs, nobody asks about you. If you score runs, everything else follows,” Manish concluded.
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