“Need players like him to be able to play all formats”: Dravid on Sooryavanshi

Dublin [Ireland], August 22 (ANI): Former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid said that for the longest format of the game to survive and keep growing, world cricket will need stars like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to play all formats of the game, balancing both red-ball and white-ball formats.
Dravid spoke to Cricinfo at an event in Dublin to unveil the inaugural season of the European T20 Premier League, where he is associated with Dublin Guardians as the owner.
The Indian batting legend opined that Suryavanshi's development needs to be balanced well, with priority given to both white-ball and red-ball formats, the latter of which he has not delivered much at the senior level.
"I think you always have to find that balance. And I think it is a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he is also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career," he said.
"All of us also want to see Test cricket survive, all of us want to see Test cricket grow, and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game," he added.
Sooryavanshi made his international debut at the age of 15 during the tour of England, but could not touch the 20-run mark in three innings he played there. India lost the series 1-4. During the second T20I at Manchester against England, Sooryavanshi debuted for India at the age of 15 years and 99 days, becoming India's youngest international cricketer, breaking the long-standing record of Sachin Tendulkar (Test debut at 16 years 205 days; ODI at 16 years 238 days).
His tour to Zimbabwe was much better, topping the run-charts with 151 runs in three innings with two fifties at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10, including a knock of 81. He secured the 'Player of the Series' award as India sealed their first series under newly-appointed T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer after losses to Ireland and England.
In six T20Is, he has made 193 runs at an average of 32.16 and a strike rate of 189.21, with two fifties.
Sooryavanshi's T20 numbers and List A numbers are sensational, with the 15-year-old scoring 1,670 runs in 40 T20Is and innings at an average of 42.82, with a strike rate of 216.32, including four centuries and eight fifties. In 13 List-A matches, he has made 564 runs at an average of 43.38, with a century and two fifties at a strike rate of 176.80.
In Youth ODIs for India, he has been a prolific figure, with 1,412 runs in 25 matches and innings at an average of 56.48 and a strike rate of 165.72, including four centuries and seven fifties. He played a crucial role in India's U19 WC win this year, smashing a 90-ball 175 in the final against England.
However, in red-ball, he has not had much success, with 331 runs in six Tests and 10 innings at an average of 33.10 for India in Youth Tests at a strike rate of 136.77, including two centuries and a fifty. In eight first-class matches, he has made just 207 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17.25, with just one fifty.
Sooryavanshi will be a part of the East Zone squad as the vice-captain in the red-ball tournament, Duleep Trophy, starting from Sunday and Dravid, who coached the teen prodigy at Rajasthan Royals (RR) feels that this opportunity to play red-ball cricket will prove to be valuable for him, who does not have much experience in the format.
"The good thing is he is going to take some time, he is going to need some experience; he is going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket. He has not played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket," he said.
"He is only 15, and I think you have got to just give him some time and you have got to be patient with him. He has obviously been such a success straightaway, right, but he is going to go through his ups and downs, and I think people are going to have to be patient with him," added the batting legend.
Playing in the Duleep Trophy could give Sooryavanshi two straight games, three if East Zone makes it to the final. It could be followed by two more chances when India A hosts Australia A at home in September for two unofficial Tests.
"I think he is going to have some success, but he also might have periods where it probably doesn't work out well for him," Dravid cautioned.
"But let us all remember he is only 15, and he has a long way to go. So Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, by not playing in T20 competitions all over the world, is actually playing in the red-ball Indian domestic competition. He is growing, he is getting better at red-ball skills," he said.
"Hopefully someday, if he does well and performs well as he has in white-ball cricket, he might become a red-ball player for India. And how exciting that would be for the world game as well," Dravid signed off. (ANI)