Former India cricketer and national selector Devang Gandhi said teenaged left-handed opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has to be rewarded with an India T20I cap, adding that he has ticked all boxes and could even one day terrorise Test match bowlers as well.
Sooryavanshi, who was the Player of the Tournament in India winning the 2026 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, is poised to become the youngest cricketer in an India men’s squad since Sachin Tendulkar’s debut in 1989. He had an outstanding time while playing for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. Sooryavanshi, 15, will next turn out for India A in the 50-over tri‑series against Afghanistan ‘A’ and hosts Sri Lanka ‘A’ from June 9 to 21 in Dambulla.
"I think the way to handle him is reward him with an India cap because the way he's performed in the last two years - he's hitting all the top bowlers of the world. In the first year, a lot of people said that was the first year. But look at the way he's hitting. He's hitting in front, right? He's playing all authentic shots.
"What was heartening for me to see is that if you remember his last two knocks, he got 27-ball 94 (97). In the last game, in Qualifier 2 where RR lost, he got 90-odd (96). But in different circumstances, right? There were wickets falling from the other end. He was rotating the strike. So, if required, he can shift gears, which is more alarming for world cricket, right?" Gandhi said in an exclusive conversation with IANS on Friday.
“See, are you sending your first team or are you sending your second level? That's the biggest concern. So, if they are sending the first team, I think overlooking Surya is not the right thing to do because he just handed over one more Men’s T20 World Cup to us," MSK Prasad told news agency IANS.
“So, ideally, probably next 5‑6 months or now you have to get ready with your next leaders, right? Axar Patel was your vice‑captain till the T20 World Cup win. Ideally, if you look at it, you have to look forward to the younger leaders. So, if you can identify such leaders and make a deputy to Surya, it will be nice to see. Surya is a phenomenal player.
"I know that he has gone through a rough patch in the last 1‑1.5 years. Of course, we have other players like Rajat Patidar coming up, and they also deserve their places.
"So, what I would like to say is that, removing Surya at this stage, I think, is not the right signal. Give him a couple of series, and if his lean patch continues, then you have a deputy to whom you can hand over the captaincy baton."
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