NEW DELHI: India’s stand-in bowling coach Sunil Joshi has urged everyone to keep the spotlight firmly on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s batting, lavishing praise on the teenage sensation after his record-breaking knock in the opening T20I against Zimbabwe while revealing that the youngster’s bowling will be developed gradually at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).Sooryavanshi lit up the Harare Sports Club with a breathtaking 18-ball half-century, becoming the youngest player to score a T20I fifty. His whirlwind innings, featuring four fours and four sixes, turned India’s chase of 126 into a one-sided affair as the reigning T20 World Cup champions sealed victory with 40 balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Ahead of the second T20I, Joshi said the teenager’s explosive batting should remain the primary focus.“I think the first thing is, let’s focus on his batting. He’s been sensational and I’m glad that he has done well. This is a happy hunting ground for him. He performed well in the U19 World Cup finals here. He had a good performance yesterday as well,” Joshi told reporters.The former India spinner also disclosed that Sooryavanshi’s bowling is part of the long-term plan.“Vaibhav has been very comfortable with his batting. Whenever we get time in his bowling, I’ll work with him in the CoE. Whenever we see him bowling well, we’ll definitely and quickly focus on that,” he said.
Joshi backs young talent, urges patience with Suryansh Shedge
Joshi also called for patience with emerging seam-bowling all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, who has drawn comparisons with established stars such as Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.The stand-in bowling coach insisted every player has their own journey and warned against making premature comparisons.“Look, we shouldn’t compare. Suryansh is making his place in the Indian team. Hardik has made his place. Shivam has also made his place. So, he’s a rising talent. We have to persist with him. He’s working on good things and good areas. That’s what we want in the T20 format,” he said.Joshi also highlighted the bowling depth available in India’s squad, pointing to top-order batters Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma, who can also contribute with the ball.“I think all three are good bowlers and all-rounders, although Abhishek Sharma has improved a lot. The coaches always want him to improve every time for the better. We also have Tilak Varma with us. He’s another optional bowler. We have conversations with him about not giving too many runs, bowling more dot balls, and focusing on the basics,” he further added.
Bishnoi’s run-up tweak pays dividends
Joshi also praised leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, revealing that a minor adjustment to his run-up helped him bounce back after a difficult outing against England earlier this month.Bishnoi endured a forgettable spell of 0/60 in Manchester, where England batter Jacob Bethell smashed 29 runs in a single over. However, the leg-spinner responded impressively in Harare with figures of 1/24 from four overs.According to Joshi, the improvement came without any change to Bishnoi’s bowling action.“It’s important to understand that the win was a must, which has happened, and I’m very pleased with the bowling performances. Bishnoi hasn’t changed anything in his action,” he said.“He has re-aligned the run-up a bit. We’ve also communicated with Sairaj Bahutule. We’ve had good conversations with him. Eventually, we’ve seen that he’s not even going close to the return crease, which is very pleasing for him, honestly, and for us also,” he explained.
