New Delhi. Vaibhav Suryavanshi's name is among the most talked about young players in Indian cricket these days, but after not getting a place in the playing eleven of Team India in the first T20 against West Indies, the wait of his fans has increased further. In the match played in Lucknow, the team management kept faith in the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. India won the match easily and hence there was no immediate need to change the combination. Despite this, now the biggest question before the second T20 to be held in Ranchi is whether Gautam Gambhir will give a chance to Vaibhav Suryavanshi or he will have to watch another match sitting on the bench.
Vaibhav's story is also special because the way he has made his mark in the world of cricket at the age of just 15 has taken him far ahead of the ordinary young player. His aggressive style in the IPL caught the attention of cricket lovers and he has shown glimpses of his batting at the international level as well. After scoring a half-century in the T20 International against Zimbabwe, it became clear that Vaibhav is not in the news just because of his age but his bat also has the ability to perform at a big level.
During the Asian Games, under the coaching of VVS Laxman, Vaibhav was included in the playing eleven in big matches like the gold medal match against Pakistan. At that time, age was not considered his weakness and the team expressed confidence in his ability. Now the responsibility of the Indian team is with Gautam Gambhir and his focus is more on keeping the current combination strong. There were no big innings from Sanju and Abhishek in Lucknow but India won the match easily. In such a situation, the team management has a strong argument for maintaining the winning combination.
Still, the question about glory remains because the real potential of a player can be estimated only after giving him continuous opportunities. If every time the good performance of the existing players becomes the criterion for making a place in the team, then when will the new players get the opportunity to prove themselves at the international level. Including Vaibhav in the team would not only mean dropping a player but would also mean trying a very exciting option for the future of Indian cricket.
Now eyes are fixed on Ranchi. There is tremendous enthusiasm among the fans about Vaibhav here. The interest of the audience to see this young batsman coming from Bihar is clearly visible. Ranchi is the city of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the passion for cricket here is not hidden from anyone. In such a situation, the audience wants to see the bat of this new young star on the field.
However, the team management should not take decisions only on the basis of audience demand. In cricket, balance and the need of the team are most important. But keeping an X factor like Vaibhav out for too long also raises questions. At present Vaibhav is ready, the fans are ready and the atmosphere of Ranchi is also ready. Now Gautam Gambhir and the team management have to decide whether Baby Boss's name will appear in the playing eleven slip this time or his wait will be one more match longer.