'Gave us a trailer of what's to come' - R Ashwin backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to go from strength to strength after international debut

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally made his much-awaited international debut in the second T20I between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Saturday, July 4. The southpaw smashed two sixes before getting out on 14 off 10 balls.

The legendary Ravichandran Ashwin opined that the 15-year-old, who became the youngest debutant for India, showed glimpses of his talent, and he will only get better from here on.

“I'm very happy. The way he took on Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue has already given us a trailer of what's to come. To step onto such a big stage without any fear, there wasn't even the slightest sign of fear or pressure on his face. Vaibhav Suryavanshi is here to play, and he's here to stay. I have no doubt about that," Ashwin said while speaking about the wonderkid on his YouTube channel.

The former India off-spinner said that it is important not to compare Sooryavanshi to legends like Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, or anyone else, and let him establish his own legacy.

“I only want to see how this boy turns it around and goes on to have a very successful career because I think he can do it. He has the capability. But don't compare him with anyone. We want the first Vaibhav Suryavanshi. We don't want the second Don Bradman, the second Sachin Tendulkar, or the second Shane Warne. We want the first Vaibhav Suryavanshi, so that we can witness his own journey and learn from it.”

India won the T20 World Cup earlier this year, but they suffered a 0-2 series defeat against Ireland last month and failed to win the second T20I against England last week. Ashwin, however, isn't too perturbed about the latest string of defeats, as he noted that marquee events like the next T20 World Cup and the Olympics are a long way away and the players will learn from their failures.

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“If we sell criticism, people will buy it because negativity sells easily. What’s the concern? The next World Cup is two years away. The Olympics are also two years away. Let these players play. Let them lose. Without failures, there is no success. This is the time for them to learn. All these Indian T20 players came into the team after the seniors had built a very strong team culture. They came in and went on to win the T20 World Cup. If players aren't allowed to experience failure, we won't produce future legends and champions. Nobody becomes great without failing first. Let them fail.”