Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ( Photo X )

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s much-awaited India debut has divided the cricket fraternity, with former players debating whether the team management is holding back the teenage prodigy. Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has now joined the conversation, backing the young batter while disagreeing with India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate‘s stance.“He (Sooryavanshi) is absolutely ready to play international cricket; there is no doubt about that. But also, Sanju Samson is a guy who went a long way towards helping us win the World Cup three months ago,” India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had said.“He had a fairly good IPL, and it is important to give players confidence and send a message to the players that we want to give guys a long run in the team. We are all excited to see Vaibhav play, but he has to go through the same process. There is certainly no question about how good he is,” he added.However, AB de Villiers disagrees with that approach.“When will he be unleashed? I thought the Ireland series was the perfect opportunity for him to come in and get a feel for international cricket. It was unfortunate that he never got an opportunity. I beg to differ with Ryan ten Doeschate saying Sooryavanshi has to go through the process like any other player. After the IPL he had, it was time to throw him into the deep end, especially against a lower-ranked team like Ireland, to get a bit of experience,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.Sanju Samson’s struggles in three consecutive innings have further strengthened Sooryavanshi’s chances for a debut. Earlier, cricketing legends including Ravi Shastri, Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook had also said Sooryavanshi should have made his debut in the two-T20I series against Ireland.On the other side of the debate are Cheteshwar Pujara and Saba Karim, who believe Sooryavanshi’s inclusion should not come at the expense of a proven performer.After a disappointing 2-0 series defeat to Afghanistan, India are still searching for a turnaround as they continue their tour of England.