India's delicate plan for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: Help his game, not ruin it

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be eased into the national set-up after his maiden T20I call-up. The team wants to protect the 15-year-old's natural game rather than overload him with advice.

In Short

• India coaches plan minimal intervention during Sooryavanshi's early transition
• He warned constant advice can clutter a batter's mind and rhythm
• Rajasthan Royals' teenager topped the IPL charts with 776 runs

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has emphasised a cautious, hands-off approach when it comes to integrating teenage phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the national setup. The 15-year-old wunderkind earned his historic maiden T20I call-up for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England following a spectacular, record-breaking season in the Indian Premier League.

While India completed a dominating win over Afghanistan in their one-off Test in Mullanpur, the buzz has already started brewing for their white-ball challenges coming up. The majority of that has been due to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's maiden inclusion in their T20I senior team for their Ireland and England tour, followed by the Asian Games.

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However, there's a healthy debate around how the Indian management will handle and implement Sooryavanshi's talent in what is already a T20 World Cup winning combination. Speaking about the challenge of working with modern international players who already have a successful formula, Kotak explained that over-coaching a young player can often do more harm than good.

"See, as a batting coach or any coach, it's always a challenge to work with a player. Because at this level, they all have their own thinking, their own style, their own way they have succeeded. And then, you try to add something, it always takes time, it always takes the trust for them to believe. And for me, it is so important how much you want to add and when you want to add."

"Whenever we observe something, we will definitely try to help him in only much as he needs. The more complicated you make it with constant advice, the more cluttered the mind gets."

Sooryavanshi forced his way into the national squad after a breathtaking IPL campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he clinched the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award and finished as the highest run-scorer with an astonishing 776 runs. If the prodigy makes his debut against Ireland in Belfast, he will eclipse Sachin Tendulkar to become India’s youngest-ever male debutant in international cricket history.

HOW TEAM INDIA WILL HANDLE VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI

The Indian team management is acutely aware of the massive spotlight on the teenager and plans to offer a protective environment that values observation over immediate technical intervention. Having watched him play since his Under-19 days and seeing him demolish world-class bowling attacks on the biggest domestic stage, Kotak admitted that the prodigy’s current baseline capability is already exceptional.

"From last year's IPL and the way he bats, the way he executes those shots, it's really exciting to be very honest for a 15-year-old. And to all the world-class bowlers, the way he has faced and the way he has succeeded is unbelievable how talented he is. So, I am really excited."

Rather than trying to restructure his natural flair or preemptively fixing invisible flaws ahead of the international transition, the coaching staff intends to give Sooryavanshi the freedom to settle into the dressing room on his own terms.

"But personally, we let him come, let's see actually what helps him. It doesn't necessarily mean we have to get into anything in particular... because he is doing well."

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar echoed similar sentiments upon the team's selection, noting that while international cricket brings tougher challenges, Sooryavanshi has shown an advanced temperament well beyond his years.

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