Former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly has said that experts and fans should just let Vaibhav Sooryavanshi be, adding that he is still a teenager and shouldn’t bother about too much pressure, with an Indian senior team debut looming large for him at just 15 years old.
At just 15 years and 71 days, Sooryavanshi became India’s youngest-ever player, going past batting legend Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record.
Hailing from Tajpur in Bihar’s Samastipur district, Sooryavanshi has been named in India’s team for the upcoming white-ball assignments, including two T20Is in Ireland on June 26 and 28, followed by a five-match T20I series against England from July 1 to 11.
“I think we should let him be; he is just 15-year-old and I don’t think he will
bother too much about pressure and that is what we get to see him in the IPL. Obviously, playing for India is different and he will be touring where the wickets will be a little different,” Ganguly said while speaking to PTI.
“… so just let him be, don’t expect the world from him straightaway. Just allow him to settle down because you know he has got a lot of talent like many others in India,” Ganguly added.
Sooryavanshi’s selection was all but certain after the 15-year-old clinched the IPL 2026 Orange Cap, amassing 776 runs, including a hundred and five half-centuries, at a blistering strike rate of 237.3 for Rajasthan Royals.
Back in 1989, a 16-year-old Tendulkar made his international debut against a formidable Pakistan attack featuring Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Abdul Qadir and Imran Khan.
Sooryavanshi can break that record if he plays the first T20I against Ireland on June 26, at 15 years and three months old.
Tendulkar impressed everyone with his straight and on-drives. The grace and timing with which he struck those fours showed he was a star in the making.
Sooryavanshi has already impressed one and all with his big-hitting and it needs to be seen how he performs on the pitches in the United Kingdom.
