Jofra Archer May Have Slight Edge Against Sooryavanshi : Graeme Swann

India's white-ball tour of England gets underway with a five-match T20I series from July 1, with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set for his highly anticipated debut, as the new T20 captain Shreyas Iyer eyes his first series win. Speaking on JioStar's ‘Game Plan’, JioStar experts Cheteshwar Pujara and Graeme Swann shared their thoughts on the challenges Iyer will face as captain in England, the hype surrounding Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the challenges of bowling to him.

Speaking on JioStar's 'Game Plan', JioStar expert Cheteshwar Pujara discussed the challenges Shreyas Iyer will face to win the T20I series in England:

"It is going to be challenging for Shreyas Iyer to become the third Indian skipper after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to win a T20I series in England. There is no doubt about that. Playing in English conditions, even with better white-ball pitches, is still a different kind of challenge. Shreyas is leading the Indian team for the first time, and he is playing T20Is after a two-year gap. So, the challenge is real. But as a captain, I don't have doubts about him. He has done a great job with Punjab Kings in the IPL, and that is why he has been given this role. He is a proactive leader, leads from the front, and gives freedom to his players. So as a captain, he should be fine. The real test will be with his batting. He will have to prove himself in the middle order and deliver in English conditions.”

On why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his India debut: 

"There is a lot of hype around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. As a young player, he shouldn't pay attention to what is being said about him. He needs to block out the outside noise and focus on his game. But even if he is mentally ready, selection is a different matter. I don't think he will get a chance straight away in the England series because India wouldn't want to change their top three. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan are quality batters who have helped India win the T20 World Cup. So, Vaibhav may have to wait for the first three games. If the opportunity arrives, the key for him will be to stay relaxed and calm. He shouldn't put pressure on himself to score big runs. He should just go out and express himself. What he did in the IPL won't be easy to replicate in English conditions. So, he needs to prepare well and get used to the conditions. Once he has done that, it will be about watching the ball and playing it on its merit. Everything else will fall into place." 

Speaking on JioStar's 'Game Plan', JioStar expert Graeme Swann highlighted the challenge of bowling to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and why Jofra Archer might have a slight advantage against him:

"It's hard to prepare for a player like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He is still new to international cricket, but he has already played two IPL seasons. That means there is video footage available. Some of the England bowlers may have bowled to him in the IPL. But the truth is, no one has really had much success against him so far. He has looked almost unplayable. The one bowler who might have a slight advantage is Jofra Archer. He has seen Sooryavanshi from the dugout, bowled to him in the nets, and watched him closely. He has probably seen more of him than anyone else. Maybe he has spotted a weakness. Maybe he has a plan. And he has the express pace to back it up. But so far, no matter who has bowled to Sooryavanshi, no matter how highly rated the bowler, he has always had an answer."