VVS Laxman accommodated Vaibhav Suryavanshi's attendance at Shubman Gill's training session at Edgbaston, allowing him to observe his idol: "Aspiring for..."
The India U19 cricket team, currently in the UK for the Youth series against England U19, had a unique opportunity to witness the second day of the 2nd Test between India and England at Edgbaston, Birmingham. This special visit was made possible by VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), who arranged for the team's travel.
Laxman, a former Indian cricket legend and a key figure in nurturing young talent, has been actively involved in supporting the exposure of promising players to international cricket environments. His efforts to facilitate the India U19 squad's attendance at the high-profile Test match align with the cricketing tradition of providing young players with experience and inspiration through observation of senior-level matches.
The India U19 team left ecstatic after witnessing Shubman Gill's impressive performance. Gill, the senior captain of the Indian team, scored an impressive 269 runs off 387 balls, with the help of 30 fours and 3 sixes. His performance helped the Indian team post a formidable 587 runs on the board.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a 14-year-old left-handed batter from the India U19 team, has aggregated 179 runs in the ongoing Youth series against England, with scores of 48, 45, and 86. Suryavanshi expressed that he found Gill's performance inspiring and stated that he aspires to represent the team in the longest format of the game, with Gill as a role model.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the coach of the India U19 team, stated that the visit would give great exposure to the young team. He also mentioned that there would be a session on what the team learned from watching the Test match when they return. Kanitkar emphasised the importance of not every ball needing to be hit for a four or six to be effective, a valuable lesson that the young team can take back from the match.
Suryavanshi, too, expressed his feelings about the visit, stating that he felt good about his visit to Edgbaston and found the ongoing Test match inspiring. The India U19 team is currently leading the Youth series against England U19, with a score of 2-1. The fourth match of the series will be played on Saturday, July 5.
Suryavanshi, inspired by Gill's performance during the witnessed 2nd Test between India and England, aspires to represent the team in the longest format of the game with Gill as his role model. As Kanitkar mentioned, the visit to the Test match will offer great exposure for the India U19 team, with valuable lessons about cricket strategy and the importance of strategic play, rather than just aiming for sixes and fours.
