‘He’s a bit like me’: Virender Sehwag says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in his prime

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during practice. (PTI Photo) Former India opener Virender Sehwag sees a bit of himself in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fearless approach to batting and says the teenage sensation is in his prime and should get as many opportunities as possible to build a long international career.The 15-year-old has already impressed in the T20Is, scoring 246 runs in eight matches at a staggering 186. Sehwag, who has amassed 17,253 international runs in his career, believes Sooryavanshi’s attacking mindset resembles his own approach to the wicket.“Sooryavanshi is in his prime and his mindset is a bit like mine, to strike from the first ball. Now it’s about when he gets the opportunity and how many matches he plays for India,” Sehwag said during a panel discussion at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry annual meeting on Saturday.

‘Performance matters’: Sehwag on Sooryavanshi’s age

The former India opener also dismissed concerns about Sooryavanshi’s age, arguing that a player’s placement should be determined by performances once they reach the highest level.“Look, if you’re playing in an age group, it makes sense – if it’s under 19, your age should be under 19. But once you’re playing in the IPL or playing for India, age doesn’t matter.“A 38 or 40-year-old (Virat) Kohli is playing and a 15-year-old (Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi is also playing. Then it depends on the performance,” Sehwag said.Sooryavanshi has featured in eight of India’s 18 T20Is since joining the senior squad, with competition for opening slots remaining intense. Experienced Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been India’s preferred opening combination in recent matches.Former India all-rounder Robin Singh also encouraged healthy competition for placements, stressing that young players need sustained runs but need to be patient when others are performing well.“Sooryavanshi has enough and more talent. So, you know, even if he has to sit on the bench and wait for it to happen, that’s fine. But the others have done very well,” Robin told IANS.“It’s good to have competition. It’s good when people beat you down the throat so you don’t slip up with your performances,” he added.

Sehwag boosts India’s World Cup hopes

Sehwag also praised Shubman Gill for his recent batting exploits, including his second ODI double century, and backed the Indian bowling attack to play a crucial role in the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.“Among our fast bowlers, we have Bumrah who is the best we have. If our bowling attack remains strong in the World Cup, we can win it very easily,” he said.