Dilip Vengsarkar, former India captain and chief selector, has urged young cricketers to prioritize playing and excelling in Test cricket. This advice comes at a time when the allure of T20 leagues and their associated fame and financial benefits have been drawing the attention of young players and their parents.
Dilip Vengsarkar’s advice to young cricketers
Vengsarkar, who played 116 Tests for India, emphasized that true honour in the sport comes from excelling in its traditional format. He believes that focusing on Test cricket will also enhance their performance in other formats.
“Parents are overawed with the success of IPL, its teams and players,” Vengsarkar said at an event on Tuesday.
He further added that while parents might have an inclination towards training their children to become batters, bowlers carry equal importance irrespective of the format. “The bowlers also have a big role to play not just in the IPL but also in Test cricket, they can be match-winners. Try to play Test cricket for your country, if you are a good Test cricketer you can play other formats of the game,” he said.
"Test cricket is the ultimate"
— Former India 🇮🇳 cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar urges youngsters to prioritise playing Test cricket https://t.co/1GX2F4X2Uu
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) May 13, 2024
“You will be rated only by what you have done for the country in Test cricket. IPL is a good format, it is good entertainment and it also meets the finances, which is also very important but Test match cricket is the ultimate,” Vengsarkar added.
Vengsarkar’s advice is a timely reminder of the prestige associated with Test cricket. He asserted, “You will be rated only by what you have done for the country in Test cricket. IPL is a good format, it is good entertainment and it also meets the finances, which is also very important but Test match cricket is the ultimate.
Also Read: Manika Batra breaks into Top 25, etches into history as the first Indian to do so
