India’s selectors say they had almost no choice but to promote 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after his record-breaking back-to-back IPL seasons. The right-hander, who lashed 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 in 2026 and dragged Rajasthan Royals into the play-offs, is now in the squad for next month’s T20Is in Ireland and England as well as the Asian Games men’s event.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar put it plainly. “I think he just has picked himself really,” Agarkar said on Thursday. “With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him with how well he has played. For a young kid… I don’t need to talk about how well he is playing. And it’s not just this season. He obviously had a great start [to his IPL career] last season.”
Those two IPLs have been enough. At 14, Sooryavanshi became the youngest century-maker in men’s T20 cricket with a 38-ball 101 against Gujarat Titans. This year he upped the ante, taking on Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc and anyone else in his path. Agarkar felt there was no point pretending the teenager was still one for the future.
“Like everyone else that has watched T20 cricket in India, we have got high hopes of him,” he continued. “We know what he was doing at the Under-19 level, and that’s probably perhaps a step down to what the IPL is or slightly lower [than what] senior cricket is. But we can all see what kind of talent he has. We’re hopeful that if and when he gets an opportunity to actually play for the country, he shows us the same sort of ability that he’s shown.”
Not everyone is pencilling him straight into a Test side, though. Sooryavanshi has featured in only eight first-class matches, scoring 207 runs with a highest of 93. Agarkar, understandably cautious, said the selection panel will allow the red-ball side of his game to evolve.
“I just explained his performances have made us pick him in the format that he’s excelled over the last couple of seasons of the IPL,” he noted. “With regards to red ball, I mean, he’s a kid. He’s just starting his journey, and I’m sure when the domestic season starts and he plays for his team, plays a bit of red-ball cricket, we will wait and observe. At this point why jump the gun?”
That view is shared inside the Indian squad. Senior off-spinner R Ashwin believes the teenager’s presence will keep other top-order hopefuls sharp. “He’s fearless, he backs himself and that energy rubs off,” Ashwin said earlier in the week. “If you’re Abhishek or Sanju you’ll know he’s coming for your spot. That’s healthy. It should lift standards.”
The question now is whether India’s management hand him a debut straight away or ease him in. T20I tours of Ireland and England can be tricky — conditions, pace off the pitch, a Dukes white ball that occasionally swings. Yet observers note Sooryavanshi’s uncomplicated technique: high back-lift, fast hands, no obvious front-foot clutter. His strike-rate speaks for itself but his dismissal rate — just once every 13 balls in the 2026 IPL — impressed statisticians even more.
Former India batter WV Raman is intrigued but warns against unrealistic expectations. “He’s extraordinary, yes, but he’s still 15. Let him fail, learn, succeed again. That cycle matters,” Raman told a TV panel. “The moment you tag any kid as the next superstar you risk rushing him.”
Selectors appear mindful of that. Agarkar admitted the panel “deliberate because there’s so much talent around”, yet felt the teenager’s “temperament” was decisive. They will, he said, “manage his workload”, a hint Sooryavanshi may not feature in every game.
For now the youngster will travel with a squad blending experience and new faces. Rohit Sharma remains captain, Virat Kohli takes a breather, while uncapped quicks Kartik Tyagi and Umran Malik are back after injury. India, post-World Cup rebuild or not, suddenly look youthful at the top.
Sooryavanshi’s immediate task is to show the same calm he displayed when taking on Bumrah in Ahmedabad or Starc in Jaipur. Bigger crowds, different weather, more analytical opposition: all part of the next step. “Obviously, there will be tougher challenges when he plays for the country,” Agarkar admitted. “But he’s shown great promise and temperament. We’re very hopeful.”
Hopeful, yes, but also realistic. A 15-year-old has never represented India’s men in any format; should it happen in Dublin or Southampton it would be groundbreaking. Whether he plays or carries drinks, though, the consensus is clear. The lad has, in Agarkar’s words, “picked himself”.
