Ravi Shastri believes teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is already good enough to break into India’s senior T20 setup and has urged selectors to fast-track the youngster into international cricket.
The 15-year-old opener has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past few months. After playing a key role in India’s title-winning campaign at the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, Sooryavanshi has continued his outstanding form in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for Rajasthan Royals.
The left-handed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as one of the biggest attractions of the tournament, scoring 440 runs in 11 innings at an astonishing strike rate of 236.56. His explosive batting includes a stunning 36-ball century against
Sunrisers Hyderabad, along with two additional half-centuries. He also leads the six-hitting charts this season with 40 maximums.
Impressed by the youngster’s fearless approach, Shastri said the selectors should seriously consider giving him an early opportunity in India’s T20 side.
“The door would be three-fourths open,” Shastri was quoted as saying 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 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.”
Ireland Series Perfect Stage?
Shastri also suggested that India’s upcoming tour of Ireland in June could be the ideal platform for Sooryavanshi to make his senior debut.
“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 added.
“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 at him straight away.”
Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise has continued off the field as well, with the youngster recently earning his maiden India A call-up for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka involving Afghanistan.
