Ajinkya Rahane opened up on the decision to bench Vaibhav Sooryavanshi vs Afghanistan |courtesy - BCCI/PTI Ajinkya Rahane defended the team management, consisting of head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer's decision not to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance in the playing XI during India's three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, as the team went back to Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as their opening pair despite the 15-year-old winning the Player of the Series (POTS) award in India's tour of Zimbabwe. Rahane claimed that Sooryavanshi will benefit from spending time with the team even if he does not get a chance to play. He claimed that it is a challenge for the team management to decide when the teenager should get a chance and to ensure he is not judged if he fails. "He is talented and has the skill, but I think he will have to wait. We form opinions very quickly. If a player is doing well, people form that opinion of him. There is nothing wrong with that, but you have to see that it doesn't affect the mindset of the player. It's about grooming the players," said Rahane in a video on his YouTube channel. "If he doesn't perform well, people will be quick to form an opinion that he got an opportunity but didn't do anything. The more time he spends with the Indian team and the experienced players, the more his game will develop. No doubt, we have seen the kind of talent he has in the IPL, and he has had limited opportunities. But yes, we will have to groom him and give him some time. The challenge for team management is to decide when to give Vaibhav Suryavanshi a chance, and when he gets the chance, not to judge him quickly," Rahane added. Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Ajinkya Rahane. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of 'intent' remain those of the creator. Aayush Kataria is a Senior Copy Editor at Times Network with four years of experience, having started his career in the organisation. He is a key memb... View More