The cricketing world is abuzz with the names of Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre, touted as future stars for India. Both are currently in Australia, playing for the Under-19 team. The core debate focuses on which player will get a chance to join the senior Indian team first. Ambati Rayudu, who has played 61 matches for India, offered his prediction on the matter.
In a podcast this August, Ambati Rayudu was questioned by Shubankar Mishra on who would be the first to represent the senior team. Rayudu, at 39, chose Vaibhav Suryavanshi and offered his reasoning.
Rayudu cited Suryavanshi’s impressive performance, emphasizing his belief that he would be the first to join the Indian team. He admired his bat swing, even comparing it to Lara, and recommended that Suryavanshi stay focused and disregard excessive advice. He also requested others to limit their input to Suryavanshi.
Analyzing their records, Suryavanshi is scheduled to play his ninth U-19 ODI on the ongoing Australian tour. He has amassed 432 runs in the previous 8 matches, maintaining an average of 54, including a highest score of 143. In U-19 Tests, he has 198 runs in four innings. His strike rate in U19 T20s has also been impressive.
On the other hand, Ayush Mhatre has scored 82 runs in 8 U19 ODIs for India. He has a score of 340 runs in two Test innings, with an average of 85.