Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s dream rise in Indian cricket reached another milestone on Saturday after the 15-year-old batter was named in India’s T20I squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England.The teenager has also been included in India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games, capping a remarkable few months that have seen him emerge as one of the brightest young talents in the country.
The youngster’s selection was among the biggest talking points when chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar announced India’s squads in Mumbai. Sooryavanshi forced his way into national reckoning after a stunning IPL 2026 campaign, where he finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 776 runs in 16 matches.
Explaining the decision, Agarkar said the batter’s performances left the selectors with little choice but to reward him with a maiden senior call-up. “His performances, like I said before, he’s almost forced us to pick him with how well he’s played. I know his age, and how young he is, and how early in his career. But we can all see what kind of talent he has,” Agarkar said.
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The chief selector highlighted the teenager’s ability to consistently perform in one of the most demanding T20 competitions in the world despite his young age. “You saw what he can do. I don’t need to talk about how well he is playing. And it’s not just this season. To back it up for a young kid in a competition that’s as competitive and has a high-pressure environment, and how explosive he can be and a gamechanger that he can be. We’ve got high hopes of him,” Agarkar added.
Sooryavanshi’s rise has been rapid. After making his first-class debut in January 2024, the left-hander continued to impress in age-group cricket before translating that promise into consistent performances on the IPL stage. His fearless approach and ability to dominate experienced bowlers caught the attention of the national selectors.
Agarkar, however, stressed that the teenager’s development would be managed carefully despite the excitement surrounding his talent.
“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. Obviously, there will be tougher challenges when he plays for the country, but he’s shown great promise. He’s picked himself through his performances,” he said.
The selector also made it clear that India will not rush Sooryavanshi into red-ball cricket. “His performances have made us pick him in the format that he’s excelled over the last couple of seasons in the IPL. With regards to red-ball cricket, he’s a kid. He’s just starting his journey. We’re very excited with what he’s doing in T20 cricket and we’ll take one step at a time,” Agarkar said.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia echoed those views and revealed that the board is closely monitoring the teenager’s progress. “We are very careful about his future, and our selectors and our technical persons are monitoring his every step,” Saikia said.
