Don’t expect too much too soon: Kapil Dev on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Cricket legend Kapil Dev has urged fans and experts to be patient with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following his maiden India call-up, saying placing excessive expectations on the youngster at such an early stage of his career would be unfair. The 15-year-old sensation broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become the youngest player selected for India’s senior men’s team. He was named in the squad for the T20I series against England and Ireland and has also been included in the contingent for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, later this year.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain described the 15-year-old as a “special talent” but stressed that the transition to international cricket would require time and adjustment.

“He is a special talent; give him time, but he definitely showed the talent that he has. I think he is unbelievable, but again, he will have to conduct himself (in the Indian team), keep himself fit, and a lot of other things are going to happen when you are part of the national team.

“How much he is focused, only he can answer, but to me, he is a special talent,” Kapil told PTI Videos on Monday.

Kapil believes Sooryavanshi will soon learn the difference between playing for club and country.

“There’s nothing wrong with giving respect to the young kid, but expecting too much at this stage would be wrong; he has just been included in the team. He will understand that club cricket is totally different from playing for your country, it’s a different thought process, so give him time, don’t start expecting too much, just give him time,” he stressed. His former teammate and pacer Madan Lal has no doubt about the boy wonder emulating his Indian Premier League success on the international stage. “This is a very big moment for him because he is a 15-year-old player who has forced his selection. He has got this chance because of his good performance.”

“I think he will definitely be able to do it because he has the talent in abundance. Why won’t he be able to do it? He is also in good form.”

“He has played throughout the tournament and performed consistently. He is only 15 years old and has already shown what he is capable of,” Lal said.

Sooryavanshi has hammered the likes of Pat Cummins and Kagiso Rabada with gay abandon during IPL this year.

“I think if a player is talented, he will definitely be able to perform well. I don’t think he will take much time. He has played so well. The nature of the game suits him.

“I am 100 per cent sure that he will perform well in international cricket. He is an amazing talent,” Lal explained.

Moving away from cricket, Kapil, who is also the president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), hoped the six-member Indian golf squad bound for Aichi-Nagoya could improve on the country’s return from the Hangzhou Asian Games, where Aditi Ashok’s creditable silver medal was India’s lone podium finish.

“If you are playing well, then anyone can beat any opponent. Our boys and girls are good enough; they just need a little bit more confidence because how they play on that particular week is very important,” Kapil said.

The former India captain believes the growing popularity of golf in the country, aided by landmark achievements of people like Aditi Ashok, can inspire the next generation of players.

“I hope so, let’s put it positively, the awareness (about golf) has increased, people have come to know about the sport, and the kids also feel very happy that if this girl (Aditi Ashok) can win a medal, then why not me,” he further added.