New Delhi, April 26 Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Priyansh Arya, and Prabhsimran Singh are destined to play international cricket in future.
Mhatre, just 17, was roped in by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a replacement for injured skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, and impressed fans and experts with his bold strokeplay while making 30 and 32 against Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
“The shots, the three shots this Ayush Mhatre played against the Mumbai Indians the other night in Mumbai… The way he took off, unbelievable shots for a 17-year-old, against a star-studded Mumbai Indians line-up to come out and express himself in that fashion caught everyone's eye.
“I think Ayush Mhatre has got a future. When I look at him, some of the shots he played, I think this guy, if he's handled properly and is with the right kind of people, he is someone who can go a long way," said Shastri in the latest episode of the ICC Review show.
On the other hand, Suryavanshi, the youngest player in the IPL at 14, impressed with scores of 34 and 16 for Rajasthan Royals (RR), including smacking Shardul Thakur for a six off his very first ball in the IPL.
“I think the first shot he played, that would have taken everyone's breath away. But, he's young, so I would say just let him play a bit because it's at that age, there's bound to be failure as well. It's how he handles failure," added Shastri.
Arya and Prabhsimran have been in sublime form since the start of the tournament for Punjab Kings (PBKS), amassing 254 and 209 runs respectively in eight games each. “The two Punjab openers (Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh) as well, they give it a smack. It's as if these youngsters who have come in now, including 14 and 17 years of age and it's see it, hit it in the first six overs,” stated Shastri.
While praising the IPL for giving young Indian players a platform to showcase their skills, Shastri added a note of caution. “People will come up with new things. There'll be lots of short stuff thrown at him. When you tonk someone's first ball for six, then you show no mercy.”
“Then you don't care whether he's 14 years old or 12 years old or 20 years old. The menu is the same that you dish out. So, he'll have to get used to that and once we see him handling that then you can make a proper judgment.”
With India already having talented players like Shubman Gill, B Sai Sudharsan, and Abhishek Sharma amongst others in the national set-up, Shastri signed off by saying the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has to select players when they’re in red-hot form.
“This just shows in white-ball cricket, the abundance of talent that's floating around, in India. It's a big headache for the selectors. But when you think someone is hot, give him the run because you know it's very important not just to just watch him and we'll see him next season after he has one good season but if he's hot and confident and you think you know he’s ticked most boxes even to raise the bar at a higher level, pick him.”
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