Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has backed young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make it big for India, claiming the 17-year-old can be one of India's biggest stars. Sreesanth went as far as to say that Sooryavanshi will win an Olympic gold medal for India if the sport ever makes its way into the Games.

 

His remarks followed Sanju Samson missing out on selection in India's T20I team for the Zimbabwe tour later this month. Samson has also been dropped from the starting XI of the ongoing T20I series versus England after failing to score runs, leading to an opportunity for 15-year-old Sooryavanshi to make his debut.

 

Despite many of the former players and fans raising doubts over the dropping of Samson, Sreesanth believes that the management did the right thing.

 

Sreesanth Feels Sanju Samson Needs to Bat More Consistently.

 

In an interview with Ravish Bisht, Sreesanth revealed that as the standards of Indian cricket have risen, the space for inconsistent performers has narrowed. Sreesanth thought Sooryavanshi deserved his opportunity after a good IPL.

 

“Look, I think Sanju needs to play better. When you don't perform consistently even against Ireland, there's no shortage of talent in Indian cricket. We all know how Sooryavanshi performed in this IPL. He deserved a chance. Better late than never. The way he faced Archer was amazing batting. Sanju has also done a lot.”

 

He added:

 

“He did well in the World Cup, but it's been a while since he performed. So, just like I said about Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju will do well when he gets a chance. He's also realised that in Indian cricket, if he doesn't perform for a couple of occasions, there's a lot of competition. This is good for Sanju too, as he's realised he needs to be consistent.”

 

Sreesanth feels that Samson has a future with the national team, but the former fast-bowler pointed out that you need to perform regularly to fight for a place in the competitive Indian team.

 

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Big Prediction for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

 

Sreesanth, the ex-pacer, also praised Sooryavanshi for the immense talent he possessed. Sreesanth believed that he was one of the brightest talents in Indian cricket and should be given a fairly long run in the team to develop into a future match-winner.

 

"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the future. I want him to be given more opportunities. He's brilliant. His mindset is also incredible. I'm confident that when India participates in the Olympics, Suryavanshi will be the one to win the gold medal. Sooryavanshi and other players like him should be given more chances."

 

The comments highlight Sreesanth's trust in the next Indian generation. With Samson trying to regain his place, Sooryavanshi has a chance to stake a claim in the side and prove that the selectors and the former Indian pacer had faith in him.