London: Rajasthan Royals’ Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara has backed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make a mark in international cricket, saying that he has all the ingredients to be a force for Indian cricket and world cricket.
Sooryavanshi, 15, is currently on his first tour with the Indian team for the ongoing T20I series in Ireland, before he arrives in England for a five-game series starting on July 1 in Durham. He earned his maiden India call-up on the back of making 776 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30 for RR, including hitting 72 sixes.
Sooryavanshi also scored 175 in India beating England in the final to win this year’s Under-19 World Cup and Sangakkara, the former Sri Lanka captain, thinks the youngster is well-equipped to handle fame and attention.
“I feel Vaibhav will handle all the attention very well. At Rajasthan Royals, we pay a lot of attention to how we manage him and protect him. We keep an eye on him to make sure he stays grounded and focused. He will have many opportunities ahead, in cricket and commercially.
“How he balances that, and the support he gets from his family and the team, will be crucial. But one thing I can say for sure is that Vaibhav loves batting. He loves the game. The fame and flash don’t really affect him. He is very grounded and curious about many things,” said Sangakkara on Sky Sports. IANS
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