New Delhi, August 22 (IANS) Former India captain Rahul Dravid believes the game needs players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to develop into all-format cricketers, while stressing the importance of giving the 15-year-old enough time and exposure to red-ball cricket.

Sooryavanshi, who has already made an impact in white-ball cricket, is set to feature for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy as he looks to gain more experience in the longer format.

Dravid, who coached Sooryavanshi at Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025, said the youngster’s development needs to be carefully managed, with a balance between white-ball opportunities and red-ball cricket.

“I think you always have to find that balance. And I think it’s a great thing that Vaibhav is getting the experience of playing some white-ball cricket through the IPL in India, but he’s also having the time to go back and play red-ball cricket in the Indian domestic system and grow his red-ball career,” Dravid told Cricinfo at an event in Dublin to unveil the European T20 Premier League (ETPL).

“All of us also want to see Test cricket survive, all of us want to see Test cricket grow, and we need players like him to be able to hopefully play all formats of the game,” he added.

Sooryavanshi has played only eight first-class matches so far, averaging 17.25, and Dravid believes the youngster needs a consistent run in the format to develop his red-ball skills.

“The good thing is he’s going to take some time, he’s going to need some experience, he’s going to get an opportunity to play a lot of red-ball cricket. He’s not played as much red-ball cricket as probably white-ball cricket,” Dravid said.

“He’s only 15, and I think you’ve got to just give him some time and you’ve got to be patient with him. He’s obviously been such a success straightaway, but he’s going to go through his ups and downs, and I think people are going to have to be patient with him,” he added.

The Duleep Trophy could provide Sooryavanshi with at least two consecutive first-class matches, while a third could come if East Zone reach the final. He may also get further red-ball opportunities when India A host Australia A in two unofficial Tests in September.

Dravid also believes Sooryavanshi’s decision to continue playing domestic red-ball cricket rather than chasing T20 opportunities around the world will benefit his long-term development.

“I think he’s going to have some success, but he also might have periods where it probably doesn’t work out well for him. But let’s all remember he’s only 15 and he has a long way to go,” he said.

“So Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, by not playing in T20 competitions all over the world, is actually playing in the red-ball Indian domestic competition. He’s growing, he’s getting better at red-ball skills.”

Dravid hoped Sooryavanshi can eventually make the transition into red-ball cricket at the highest level and become an all-format player for India.

“Hopefully, someday if he does well and performs well as he has in white-ball cricket, he might become a red-ball player for India. And how exciting that would be for the world game as well,” he said.

--IANS

sds/