AB de Villiers Hails Youngest India Debutant Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Backs Captain Shreyas Iyer
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has congratulated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on becoming the youngest cricketer to represent India, making his debut at 15 years and 99 days in the first T20I against England. In a video on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said the teenager looked at home on the international stage and urged patience for new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer after recent losses.
“Congratulations, young man, on making your debut and, on top of that, becoming the youngest-ever player to represent India,” de Villiers said. “It’s about time. I would have played him against Ireland already, just to give him a taste of international cricket.”
De Villiers praised Sooryavanshi’s potential but cautioned that the road ahead would be challenging. “Now, the road ahead for Vaibhav is going to be fascinating. Does he want to become truly great and be remembered alongside names like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Ricky Ponting? Or simply be remembered as the youngest player ever? It’s going to be interesting to see how his journey evolves.”
He added that the left-hander would need guidance and mentorship to succeed across all formats. “There will be tricky times, obstacles, and difficult moments. He’s going to need guidance if he’s going to succeed across all three formats. But let’s not jump the gun. Let’s celebrate him for now. He only scored 14 in that first T20I, but he looked at home.”
De Villiers also addressed criticism of Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy after India’s losses to Ireland and in the second T20I against England. “Shreyas is just starting out. Give him a break. Give him an extended period of time to prove if he is the right guy or not. It does not take one loss or one victory to prove that you are a good captain. I have always loved him as a captain in the IPL, with his calm demeanour.”
He dismissed comparisons with Rajat Patidar, saying, “By no means do I think Rajat can’t do it, but it would be unfair to give Shreyas one or two or three games and say he is not the guy. Let Rajat focus on RCB for now.”
The 42-year-old ex-captain advised Indian fans not to worry about the recent losses. “I wouldn’t be too worried if I were an Indian fan because the quality of the team will at some stage come through. It has more to do with leadership, direction, and experience. International cricket is different, especially when you are travelling away from home.”
