Ravi Shastri urges BCCI to fast track Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to India set-up

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has backed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an immediate promotion to the top national set-up after his explosive performances in the IPL. Shastri said the selectors should not hesitate to quickly include the youngster in India’s T20 plans, even as he hinted that the upcoming Ireland tour could be the ideal platform for his debut.

The 15 year old The Rajasthan Royals opener has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the IPL season after dominating the attacks with fearless stroke play and a remarkable strike rate.

“The door would be three-quarters 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 set up as quickly as possible, it’s the T20 format and he’s no less. This guy can step into many sides of world cricket at this current moment. You just look at the exuberance of youth and that youth shows in his face.”

Shastri further dismissed concerns regarding the teenager’s age, insisting that Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach against seasoned bowlers made him a genuine contender for immediate national selection.

“A lot of people are going to ask, is he 15, is he 16, is he 14? I don’t care. I just see how he’s batting at the moment and how he’s going up against all comers who are twice his age or maybe two-and-a-half times his age. He doesn’t care,” Shastri said. “So I think he’s very, very much in the reckoning. And when you’ve got a tour of Ireland and all this going on now, I’d look at him straight away.”

INDIA-SUM UP THE HOPE OF THE BOSSES

Sooryavanshi’s rise has been rapid in the past few months. Fresh from starring in India’s ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, the left-handed opener has carried that momentum into the IPL with Rajasthan Royals.

He amassed 440 runs from 11 innings at a stunning pace of 236.56, including a sensational 36-ball century against Sunrisers Hyderabad and 40 sixes, the most by any batsman this season.

Shastri’s prediction could soon come true Sooryavanshi earned his first India A call-up on 14 Mayjust a day after the former India coach publicly endorsed 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 journey to the senior side, potentially making him India’s youngest ever international debutant.

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Published on:

17 May 2026 16:50 IST