Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Warned By India Legend (Source: AFP)
Former India legend has raised concerns about the overseas performances of young Indian batters Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma. His comments came after India completed a 3-0 T20I series win against Afghanistan.
Both batters have shown impressive hitting ability in recent matches, especially on Indian pitches. However, the former Indian player believes they need to improve their batting in conditions where the ball moves or bounces more, such as overseas conditions.
Abhishek Sharma And Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Face Tough Tests Away From Home
Sandeep Patil, the former India legend, made comments after both players, Abhishek and Sooryavanshi, delivered mixed results during India’s recent overseas series.
Abhishek Sharma struggled during India’s matches against Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. Across 10 innings during that period, he scored 191 runs at an average of 19.10, with one half-century.
Against England alone, Abhishek scored 131 runs in five matches at an average of 26.20. He looked more comfortable as conditions eased, but struggled when the ball moved.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also had a difficult start in England. The star batter from Bihar, who made his T20I debut at just 15, scored only 42 runs in three innings.
However, he quickly bounced back in Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three innings at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10.
Sandeep Patil, after the IND vs AFG T20I series, stated that - "There is one thing I would like to say about their batting. Due respect to Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, we have seen that when they travelled outside India and the ball started moving around a little, they faced some difficulties. These two young players will also have to pay attention to that aspect and work on it. Lion at home and cat overseas. This shouldn't happen," Patil told SportsNext.
Both the star player Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi showcased attacking play against Afghanistan. The 26-year-old produced a stunning performance, scoring a 30-ball century in the third T20I on September 17. He finished the three-match series with 229 runs at an average of 76.33 and a strike rate of 269.41.
On the other hand, Sooryavanshi did not play a single game in the series.
Why Are Vaibhav Sooryavanshi And Abhishek Sharma Struggling Overseas?
The main challenge for both batters is handling movement, swing and extra bounce. Indian pitches often support stroke-making, while overseas conditions can offer more help to fast bowlers.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Away T20I Stats
Looking at Sooryavanshi's away T20I stats, he has played 6 matches and scored 193 runs at an average of 32.17 and a strike rate of 189.22.
Venue
Mat
Inns
Runs
Avg
S/R
England & Wales
3
3
42
14
168
Zimbabwe
3
3
151
50.33
196.1
Overall Away
6
6
193
32.17
189.22
(Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Away T20I Stats Till September 21, 2026)
Abhishek Sharma's Home vs Away T20I Stats
Abhishek Sharma has played 27 matches at home in the shortest format of the game. The star player has scored 969 runs at an average of 37.27 and a strike rate of 214.86.
On the flip side, he has played 32 away games and scored 889 runs at an average of 29.63 and a strike rate of 176.39.
Venue
Mat
Inns
Runs
Avg
S/R
Home
27
27
969
37.27
214.86
Away
32
31
889
29.63
176.39
Overall
59
58
1,858
33.18
194.55
(Abhishek Sharma's Home vs Away T20I Stats Till September 21, 2026)
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Warned By India Legend (Source: AFP)
