Former England captain Michael Vaughan said India should consider picking Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the white-ball tour of England in July this year. Vaughan backs teenager after smashing 15-ball half-century to help Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their IPL 2026 clash in Guwahati on Monday.
If Sooryavanshi turns up for England, he will become the youngest Indian to play men’s international cricket. Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the record when he made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days. Vaughan said Sooryavanshi needs to be exposed to the Indian team environment at an early stage.
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“I’m just looking ahead and I know we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves because it’s only the first innings of the IPL. But with the white-ball tour of England in a couple of months, if I was Indian cricket I’d take him on that tour,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz.
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“I’m not saying he will necessarily go straight into the XI because there are already players in the side, but he has to be brought into the Indian set-up and exposed to that environment. If he ends up in one or two games that’s fantastic, but the key is to get him on this tour,” added Vaughan.
“WHY ARE WE ALWAYS IN A HURRY?”
While Vaughan urged India to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the England tour, former India all-rounder R Ashwin called for patience and said the teenager should be allowed to develop naturally.
Endorsing Sooryavanshi’s immense talent and future prospects in India, Ashwin said there is no need to burden him with immediate expectations, adding that his time will come.
“Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a man, he is a kid. If MS Dhoni plays till 45 (44) and if Suryavanshi plays till 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“He is too good not to play for India. He will play eventually anyway. When will he play? We may have to wait a while for that. Why are we always in a hurry?” added Ashwin.
While talks for an India call-up have already begun, Sooryavanshi will focus on carrying his rich form into the Royals’ next clash with Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
March 31, 2026 12:32 PM IST
