Ireland vs India T20I: Vaibhav Suryavanshi has ‘natural ability’ to shine

India batting coach Sitangshu Kotak says 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has the “natural ability” to make his mark in international cricket if selected for Friday’s T20I against Ireland in Belfast (13:30 BST).

Should Suryavanshi make his debut in the second T20I on Friday or Sunday, he will break the world record as the youngest international, currently held by Sachin Tendulkar, who played a one-day international against Pakistan in 1989, aged 16.

“No Doubt” About Kotak The genius of Suryavansi The top-scorer in the Indian Premier League this season, scored 776 runs in 16 innings for Rajasthan Royals, hitting a record 65 sixes in a season.

“He’s very talented, there’s no doubt about that,” Kotak said at a press conference Thursday.

“The way he has batted in the IPL and other games, needless to say, he has natural ability.

“In the IPL, he has faced Jofra (Archer) and many other fast bowlers and nothing seems to faze him.”

While expectations are high that Suryavanshi will get his chance at Stormont Cricket Club, Kotak insists his selection is far from given.

“He is a tremendous talent but the captain and the head coach will decide the team,” Kotak continued.

“If he doesn’t play, that’s great too because he’s part of the Indian team and I’m sure he’ll get his chance.

“It’s not right to drop anyone who is running, so it’s up to the team management to decide what we plan to do in this match.

“There’s a fine line between giving someone a chance and being unfair to another player.”