Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter AB de Villiers believes teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could become one of the first players of his generation to choose T20 cricket over Test cricket.Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his India debut last week in the second T20I of the ongoing series against England. Speaking on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said the growing appeal of T20 cricket could influence young players like Sooryavanshi when deciding the direction of their careers.“He (Sooryavanshi) could become one of the first youngsters to simply say, ‘Sorry, I’m not interested in Test cricket. I’m perfectly happy playing T20 cricket.'”ALSO READ: AB de Villiers reveals Virat Kohli wanted him to delay RCB retirementDe Villiers said T20 cricket can be a more comfortable format for batters because of the playing conditions.“From a comfort perspective, it’s (T20) much easier. You’re facing short spells, there are only two fielders outside the circle during the Powerplay, the wickets are flatter—it can be a much easier life as a cricketer. We’ll see what he decides. But regardless of what he (Sooryavanshi) chooses, there will certainly be challenges and pitfalls along the way.”The former South Africa captain added that if Sooryavanshi eventually decides against playing Test cricket, the responsibility should not rest with the player.“You can’t blame him. Those decisions are made at the top. It’s up to the administrators to find the right balance and make those decisions a little more difficult than they currently are. Right now, the choice is quite obvious (between Test and T20),” de Villiers said on TOI Sports’ Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.At the same time, de Villiers said Sooryavanshi’s journey will not be easy.“He will go through difficult patches. His character will be tested. Then it will be up to him to show whether he has the character and mental strength to come through those phases. There are plenty of alarm bells and pitfalls that he could encounter,” he said.He also said Sooryavanshi will need the right guidance as he develops.“At 15, you should still be relatively immature—and he probably is. We’ll have to wait and see what happens. I hope he has good leadership, guidance and mentorship around him. I also hope he’s open to accepting help along the way because it will be a rocky road. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. Especially if he chooses to play Test cricket—which he may not.”
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