New Delhi: India’s representative bowling coach Sunil Joshi has urged everyone to focus on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s batting, the youngster’s praise after his knock in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe while revealing that the youngster’s bowling will be developed gradually at the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE).Sooryavanshi lit up the Harare Sports Club with a spectacular ball at the age of 18, becoming the youngest player to score a T20I fifty. His whirlwind knock, with four fours and a six, turned India’s chase of 126 into a one-sided affair as the reigning T20 World Cup champions won with 40 balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Ahead of the second T20I, Joshi said the youngster’s aggressive batting should be the key.“I think the first thing, let’s think about his batting. He’s been amazing and I’m glad he’s done well. This is an exciting hunting ground for him. He did well in the U19 World Cup here. He did well yesterday,” Joshi told reporters.The former Indian cricketer also revealed that Sooryavanshi’s football is part of his long-term plans.“Vaibhav has been very comfortable with his batting. Whenever we get time in his bowling, I work with him in CoE. Whenever we see him bowl well, of course and soon we will look at it,” he said.
Joshi supports young talent, encourages patience and Suryansh Shedge
Joshi also appealed for patience with front-line player Suryansh Shedge, who has drawn comparisons with popular stars like. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.The stand-up bowling coach emphasized that every player has his own journey and warned against making too many comparisons.“Look, let’s not pretend. Suryansh is making his place in the Indian team. Hardik has made his place. Shivam has also made his place. So, he is an extra talent. We have to work hard with him. They work on good things and good places. That is what we want in the T20 format,” he said.Joshi also highlighted the bowling depth available in the Indian team, pointing to the top batsmen Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who can also contribute the ball.“I think all three are good all-rounders, although Abhishek Sharma has done well. Teachers always want to do well all the time. We also have Tilak Varma with us. He is another choice pitcher. We talk to him about not giving away too many runs, playing more dot balls, and looking for basics,” he added.
Bishnoi’s run-up tweak pays off
Joshi also praised leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, revealing that a slight change in his pace helped him bounce back after the England clash earlier this month.Bishnoi endured a forgettable 0/60 in Manchester, where England batsman Jacob Bethell smashed 29 runs in one over. However, the leg-spinner responded impressively in Harare with figures of 1/24 from four overs.According to Joshi, the change came without any change in Bishnoi’s bowling.“It is important to understand that the win was deserved, what has happened, and I am very happy with the bowling performance. Bishnoi has not changed anything in his performance,” he said.“He has joined the chase a little bit. We also spoke to Sairaj Bahutule. We talked to him well. Finally, we have seen that he is not even close to the return crease, which makes him very happy, honestly, and for us,” he explained.