Don't Change Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Game: Sanath Jayasuriya's Advice to Indian Cricket

Mumbai, October 30: Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya believes Indian cricket should resist the temptation to put restrictions on young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, insisting that allowing the 15-year-old to express himself naturally could prove to be a valuable investment for the country's future.

Jayasuriya, one of the most destructive opening batters in the history of limited-overs cricket, said Sooryavanshi has plenty of time to develop and should be given the freedom to play his attacking brand of cricket.

"He has a long way to go but he is a good future for India. Let him play his natural game and let him do his work and it will be a good investment for Indian cricket," Jayasuriya told reporters on the sidelines of the jersey launch of Indian Softball Cricket League teams Mumbai Royals and Maharashtra Super Strikers in Mumbai on Friday.

The former Sri Lanka opener's comments come amid growing excitement around Sooryavanshi, whose fearless approach and ability to take on established bowlers have made him one of the most talked-about young prospects in Indian cricket.

Jayasuriya also praised India's batting depth, singling out Abhishek Sharma for his versatility and ability to score runs across different areas of the ground.

"Talented cricketers, they are playing well. India has got the talent and he is playing good cricket at the moment," he said.

"He is an all-round player, you cannot say anything in specific is strong. He can play in any part of the park, so that is a good thing," Jayasuriya added.

Jayasuriya Backs Sri Lanka Ahead of India Tour

Jayasuriya also expressed confidence in Sri Lanka's preparations ahead of their white-ball tour of India in December. The island nation are set to face Pakistan in the final of a tri-series also involving England, and the former captain believes their recent performances have provided a timely confidence boost.

"It's a good confidence (booster) for the Sri Lankan team which is doing well before they come to India. The confidence is high, they are playing well and I hope they will do well in India too," he said.

Sri Lanka's recent performances have included a remarkable successful chase of 430 against England in ODI cricket, the second-highest successful run chase in the format's history.

Jayasuriya welcomed the growing dominance of batters in white-ball cricket, pointing out that teams are increasingly confident of chasing imposing targets.

"It's very good to see that it is happening and players are getting runs on the board and chasing it, which is good for cricket," he said.

He acknowledged, however, that the changing nature of the game has also placed bowlers under greater pressure.

"Teams and players are getting more and more confident and that is the key. Anything is possible these days and it is good to see that teams are putting runs on the board and even chasing, but I can see that is also putting the bowlers under pressure," Jayasuriya added.