Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 'India debut can wait': Ex-India cricketer Aakash Chopra

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s sensational 97 off just 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 Eliminator has sparked massive calls on social media for an immediate India debut. However, former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra believes the teenage sensation still has plenty of time on his side.

Rajasthan Royals stormed into Qualifier 2 with a commanding 47-run victory over SRH after Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking innings powered them to a huge total of 243/8. In reply, Sunrisers Hyderabad were bowled out for 196, with Jofra Archer leading the bowling attack brilliantly during the powerplay.

Speaking on Star Sports’ JioStar show, Aakash Chopra praised the 15-year-old’s extraordinary talent but advised patience regarding his India call-up.

“We are still two years away from the next World Cup. There is plenty of time. Yes, the idea of picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for India based on his IPL performances is exciting. You simply cannot ignore what he is doing because the IPL is India’s biggest T20 tournament, and he is breaking records everywhere,'' Akash said.




“You have to take him seriously. He is special, without any doubt. But you don’t make changes just for the sake of it. For someone to come in, someone else has to fail first. If players are already performing consistently, why would you replace them just because a youngster has scored heavily?,'' he added.


“Right now, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are those top performers. You don’t replace them immediately. Otherwise, in two or three years, if Vaibhav goes through a lean patch, another youngster will be pushed ahead of him in the same way. The selectors - Ajit Agarkar, RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha - will definitely feel the pressure, but they have to think about what is best for Indian cricket. They will make the right decision, Vaibhav’s India debut does not need to happen tomorrow. It can wait. He is only 15 years old. There is absolutely no rush,” Chopra concluded.

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