Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop believes teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready to make the jump to international cricket, backing the Rajasthan Royals youngster for an India T20I debut in the near future.
Bishop picked Sooryavanshi in his alternate India T20I squad and had no hesitation in naming the 15-year-old as one of his starting openers alongside Shubman Gill. Interestingly, Bishop preferred Sooryavanshi over his Rajasthan Royals teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal, underlining the growing excitement around the teenager’s talent and fearless approach.
Reports suggest Sooryavanshi could be in line for his much-anticipated India debut during the upcoming T20I tour of Ireland in June. Even before wearing the India jersey, the teenager has already generated massive buzz with his performances and composure beyond his years.
India’s depth in white-ball cricket allows the selectors to groom special talents carefully, and Sooryavanshi appears to fit that category perfectly. The youngster has already shown glimpses of elite potential, and exposing him to the international environment early could accelerate his development.
Bishop echoed that sentiment while explaining his squad selection on ESPNCricinfo’s ‘Quick Singles’.
“You tell me if you disagree. I’m picking three openers in my squad. I want a left-right match-up as much as I can. Shubman Gill has been in good form, so I’ve gone with him. The left-hander is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. I think he is ready to take another step. And I’ve gone with Prabhsimran Singh. Priyansh Arya was in there as well, but I think Prabh has been in better form this season,” Bishop said.
Bishop also rewarded Shreyas Iyer for his strong performances over the last two IPL seasons. Despite leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and guiding Punjab Kings to the final in 2025, Iyer has remained out of India’s T20I setup since December 2023.
“I’m looking at Shreyas Iyer in the middle order, for obvious reasons. Rajat Patidar is another one who I think can make an impact and Devdutt Padikkal, who has been sublime. The keeper is Dhruv Jurel – he has better form compared to Jitesh Sharma with the bat and gloves. Nitish Kumar Reddy is my seam-bowling all-rounder, who has been scoring runs and bowling reasonably well at times for the Sunrisers Hyderabad,” Bishop added.
Among the bowlers, Bishop backed experienced campaigners and in-form IPL performers alike. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal were among his notable selections, while Mohsin Khan, Prince Yadav and Prasidh Krishna also earned praise.
“From a spinner’s point of view, my options are pretty much narrow, based on form at this juncture, but Krunal Pandya has been an important player. And then for my genuine spinner, I have gone with the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, Yuzvendra Chahal. Seamer, who I love very much – Bhuvneshwar gets into my squad at 36 because he is bowling as well as he ever has,” Bishop said.
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