The Duleep Trophy final brought two spectrums of Indian cricket together, as 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shared the pitch with 36-year-old pacer Mohammed Shami for East Zone. The veteran fast bowler also shared the type of advice he has lended to the 15-year-old. Following East Zone’s victory, Shami revealed that he and Sooryavanshi share a light-hearted dynamic, with the youngster often joking with him.
Sooryavanshi even acted as captain to Shami at points during the game when regular skipper Ishan Kishan was off the field.
Ahead of the match, Sooryavanshi had presented Shami with a special signed jersey on behalf of the East Zone squad as a celebration of the pacer completing 100 first-class games.
I usually tease him back by saying he isn’t even as old as my cricket career,” Shami said after the game, as quoted by Cricinfo. “He (Sooryavanshi) loves pulling my leg! “But he constantly banters with me, and that’s great to see. Being able to open up, mingle freely, and build camaraderie will serve him well going forward. I always encourage players to speak openly with everyone,” Shami added.
On the other hand, Sooryavanshi had an average game with the bat, slamming a quickfire 37-ball 44 in the first innings but scoring just 8 in the second.
But yes, when the game gets tight and challenging, that’s when you step in with tactical inputs and remind them to keep fighting,” the pacer said. “Most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they play today, in the IPL and other high-pressure tournaments, maturity comes early, so you don’t need to over-coach them.
