Abhishek Nayar urges patience with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after India’s tough England tour

Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has called for a measured approach to handling teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Nayar emphasized mental empathy over technical adjustments following India's challenging T20I campaigns against Ireland and England

New Delhi: Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has urged patience in handling teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi following India’s underwhelming T20I campaign against England, insisting the youngster needs understanding rather than immediate technical intervention.

Reflecting on India’s recent struggles and the team’s loss of momentum, Nayar explained why the England assignment unfolded differently from the successful tour of South Africa in 2024, while outlining how the support staff should approach one of the country’s brightest prospects.

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Sooryavanshi entered the series carrying significant expectations after attracting widespread attention in recent months, but endured a difficult run with the bat as India struggled to find rhythm throughout the tour. Nayar believes the priority should be understanding the teenager’s state of mind before discussing cricket.

“The most important thing is to evaluate where the kid is today and how he’s feeling. As a young player, you’re already conflicted, that three games ago, the whole world was excited about your batting, and suddenly everything seems to have changed,” Nayar told JioStar.

According to Nayar, communication from coaches should focus on helping the youngster process the experience rather than overwhelming him with technical advice.

“The support staff’s response has to be measured. First, understand how he’s feeling. Maybe the conversation isn’t even about batting initially, but about life and what international cricket is. Every bowler is coming at you, so can you find different solutions?” he questioned.

He added that allowing the player to reflect on his own experiences would be more effective than prescribing immediate fixes.

“You don’t want him to see it as a problem, but as a tactical challenge. Instead of telling him what to do, have a conversation. Let him explain what he felt in that moment and what he was trying to do. The more he speaks, the clearer he’ll become,” he added.

Nayar also highlighted the role of coaches in shielding young players from additional pressure during difficult phases, saying, “As support staff, you don’t put your emotions onto the player; you absorb theirs, so that the next time he walks in, he’s clear in his mind.”

Discussing India’s broader struggles, Nayar rejected comparisons with the team’s successful T20I tour of South Africa in 2024, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the two series were vastly different.

“To be honest, the pitches in South Africa were very good. The conditions weren’t the issue. In T20 cricket, form and momentum are everything, and this team had neither,” he said.

He pointed to the lack of preparation following the IPL, the introduction of a new captain, and the heightened attention around Sooryavanshi as factors that disrupted India’s campaign before it had gathered momentum.

“After the IPL, there was a break. So, they went into the Ireland series without much preparation. The only question over the team was that there is a new captain and a couple of new players. There was so much discussion about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi going into it, that I felt that the team didn’t have tunnel vision,” the former India player stated.

While acknowledging that India’s batters found the short-ball strategy challenging, Nayar insisted the issue should not be viewed as a long-term concern given the players’ proven ability. “The players are talented. They struggled against the short ball, but it’s not like players like Ishan Kishan, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi haven’t handled it well before,”

He also felt the disappointing Ireland series had a lingering impact on the team’s confidence heading into England, with fine margins ultimately proving decisive.

“Ireland series hit them like a storm. Taking that momentum into the England series, where you haven’t gotten runs, was in itself a challenge. If that over from Ravi Bishnoi had gone differently in one game, we might have been having a completely different conversation. A few small things haven’t gone India’s way, but I don’t think it’s a major problem yet,” he opined.