Why BCCI chose Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for India A and not India

For months, Indian cricket has been locked in one debate: is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ready for the senior team? Some believe that throwing a 15-year-old into international cricket is a risk not worth it. Others believe that the prodigy from Bihar has already shown the temperament and fearlessness that most senior players chase in their careers. Either way, the debate itself speaks to the extraordinary impact Sooryavanshi has made in such a short period of time.

Robin Uthappa wondered aloud if Sooryavanshi’s stunning IPL 2025 campaign was a one-season sensation. The teenager returned in 2026 and lit up the tournament again. The doubters fell silent. The question intensified.

Now, Indian cricket has dropped its biggest hint yet. On Thursday, Sooryavanshi earned his first call-up to India A for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka – a clear sign that the BCCI sees him as a serious long-term prospect but is not yet willing to recklessly push him into senior cricket.

The Sri Lanka stint, scheduled between June 9 and 21, gives the youngster a platform to don the colors of India without the crushing weight of high international expectations. On the surface, it also looks to keep Sooryavanshi away from India’s tour of the UK – seven T20Is via Ireland and England. But here’s the thing: the UK series doesn’t start until June 28. Sri Lanka ends on June 21. The window exists and the BCCI knows it. If Sooryavanshi lights up the tri-series the way he has lit up everything else he has touched, it may become increasingly difficult for the selectors to make an argument for leaving him out.

SMOOTH ROAD

Let’s be clear about one thing: not everyone is Sachin Tendulkar. More importantly, just because one path worked for Tendulkar doesn’t mean it will work for everyone else. Prithvi Shaw, once hailed as the next Tendulkar, is currently struggling to find a place in the IPL playing XI as well.

This is precisely why the BCCI deserves credit for the measured approach it has taken with Sooryavanshi. Instead of getting carried away by the hype surrounding the teenager, Indian cricket makers have decided to move him through the system gradually, step one, then step two, rather than plunging him straight into the fifth tier. BCCI takes deliberate approach with Sooryavanshi (Courtesy: Reuters)

Tendulkar made his India debut at the age of 16 after just one season of the Ranji Trophy and famously scored a century on debut against Gujarat. But that doesn’t mean Sooryavanshi has to follow exactly the same path.

The left-hander first came to national attention in 2024 when he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar against Mumbai at the age of 12, becoming one of the youngest players to feature in India’s premier first-class competition.

After entering first-class cricket, Sooryavanshi advanced to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and became the youngest player to make his debut in Indian T20 cricket at 13. He then added another milestone by becoming the youngest Indian to play List A cricket after making his debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Sooryavanshi then made his mark in age-group cricket and played a key role in India’s triumph at the Under-19 World Cup. brilliant century against England in the final. Perhaps it was after the IPL season he enjoyed that the selectors finally decided it was the right time to take him a step further into the India A set-up.

PATIENCE IS REQUIRED WITH SOORYAVANSHI

Playing in the IPL definitely means sharing the stage with some of the best players in the world and testing your skills against elite talent. But international cricket can be a different beast altogether. Batting on turners in Galle or Mirpur, facing hostile fast bowling on bouncy tracks in Perth or Durban or dealing with the swinging ball in places like Nottingham presents a completely different challenge.

Sooryavanshi has undoubtedly impressed in the IPL, but at the moment he mostly thrives when the ball is in his scoring zone. But at higher levels, there will be situations where he will need to tame his natural instincts, respect difficult conditions and quality bowling, and show more patience and discipline.

The BCCI has already shown restraint by waiting nearly two years to move Sooryavanshi from Ranji Trophy cricket to the India A set-up. It may just be a matter of a little more patience now before he gets an India cap. Patience will be key in Sooryvanshi’s debut in India (Courtesy: Reuters)

AB de Villiers was known for some of the most explosive knocks in cricket history and still holds the record for the fastest ODI century, off just 31 balls. Yet the same de Villiers once batted 297 deliveries and scored 43 runs when trying to save South Africa in the 2015 Delhi Test.

It is this adaptability that has made him one of the most versatile batsmen of all time. For Sooryavanshi to become even more successful, he too will have to add more dimensions to his game.

This is exactly why the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka could be so important. If he succeeds, it will only reinforce the growing belief in his talent.

The sky is undoubtedly the limit for Sooryavanshi, especially when age is on his side. If he lights up Sri Lanka, even the BCCI may find it hard to resist the temptation to hand him the much-awaited India cap.

– The end

Published on:

May 15, 2026 10:20 AM IST