Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an immediate elevation to the senior national setup following his explosive performances in the IPL. Shastri said selectors should not hesitate to fast-track the youngster into India’s T20 plans, even suggesting the upcoming Ireland tour could be the ideal platform for his debut.
The 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals opener has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the IPL season after dominating attacks with his fearless strokeplay and remarkable strike rate.
“The door would be three-fourths open,” Shastri told host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review. “I can tell you that, for sure, because if you want to encourage or get someone young and into the setup as quickly as possible, then it’s the T20 format of the game and he is not short by any margin. This guy can walk into a lot of sides in world cricket at this current moment in time. Just when you look at the exuberance of youth and that youth shows on his face.”
Shastri further dismissed concerns around the teenager’s age, insisting Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach against seasoned bowlers made him a genuine contender for immediate national selection.
“A lot of people will ask, is he 15, is he 16, is he 14? I don’t care. I just see the way he is batting at the moment and the way he’s taking on all comers twice his age or maybe two and a half times his age. It doesn’t matter to him,” Shastri said. “So I think he’s very, very much in the reckoning. And when you have tours of Ireland and all this happening now, I would be looking into him straight away.”
INDIA-A CALL UP BOSSTS HOPES
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been rapid over the last few months. Fresh from playing a starring role in India’s ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year, the left-handed opener has carried that momentum into the IPL with Rajasthan Royals.
He has amassed 440 runs from 11 innings at a staggering strike rate of 236.56, including a sensational 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad and 40 sixes, the most by any batter this season.
Shastri’s prediction could soon become reality after Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India A call-up on May 14, just a day after the former India coach publicly backed him for senior selection. The teenager is set to tour Sri Lanka in June for a tri-series involving Afghanistan, with selectors closely monitoring his progress ahead of India’s upcoming white-ball assignments.
Strong performances on the tour could further accelerate Sooryavanshi’s path to the senior side and potentially make him India’s youngest-ever international debutant.
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