Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star AB de Villiers has suggested that teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may emerge as one of the first cricketers of his generation to prioritise T20 cricket over the traditional Test format.
Sooryavanshi made his India debut in the second T20I of the ongoing series against England last week.
Speaking on TOI Sports' Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said the increasing popularity and appeal of T20 cricket could shape the career choices of young players such as Sooryavanshi.
"He (Sooryavanshi) could become one of the first youngsters to simply say, 'Sorry, I'm not interested in Test cricket. I'm perfectly happy playing T20 cricket.'"
The former South African captain noted that the shortest format offers conditions that can be more favourable for batters.
"From a comfort perspective, it's (T20) much easier. You're facing short spells, there are only two fielders outside the circle during the Powerplay, the wickets are flatter—it can be a much easier life as a cricketer. We'll see what he decides. But regardless of what he (Sooryavanshi) chooses, there will certainly be challenges and pitfalls along the way."
De Villiers argued that if Sooryavanshi eventually opts against playing Test cricket, the blame should not be placed on the youngster but on those responsible for the structure of the game.
"You can't blame him. Those decisions are made at the top. It's up to the administrators to find the right balance and make those decisions a little more difficult than they currently are. Right now, the choice is quite obvious (between Test and T20)," de Villiers said on TOI Sports' Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.
Despite the excitement surrounding the teenager, de Villiers cautioned that Sooryavanshi's path to the top would come with significant challenges.
"He will go through difficult patches. His character will be tested. Then it will be up to him to show whether he has the character and mental strength to come through those phases. There are plenty of alarm bells and pitfalls that he could encounter," he said.
The former batter also stressed the importance of experienced mentors during the early stages of Sooryavanshi's career.
"At 15, you should still be relatively immature—and he probably is. We'll have to wait and see what happens. I hope he has good leadership, guidance and mentorship around him. I also hope he's open to accepting help along the way because it will be a rocky road. There's absolutely no doubt about that. Especially if he chooses to play Test cricket—which he may not."
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