BCCI’s big plan for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: ‘Serve like Sachin Tendulkar, don’t be a one-year wonder’

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is taking a long-term view of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s astonishing rise, with secretary Devajit Saikia revealing that the board is keeping a close eye on the 15-year-old and wants to ensure that his early success translates into a long and distinguished international career.Sooryavanshi’s quick induction was among the issues discussed at BCCI’s high-level assessment meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, which was attended by Saikia, India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, head coach Gautam Gambhir, Center of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman and other senior officials.The teenager went from being an IPL sensation to becoming India’s youngest ever men’s international debutant and the BCCI is now determined to ensure that his development is handled with care rather than allowing the weight of expectation to derail his progress.“We want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or any player of his stature to go on and serve like Sachin Tendulkar for the country or other players who became legends in the past,” Saikia said.“So we are looking at Vaibhav very seriously. He is being watched from every angle and every step he takes in his international career. BCCI is looking very closely at his future.”

“We don’t want a one-series or one-year wonder”

Saikia made it clear that BCCI’s aim is not simply to maximize Sooryavanshi’s immediate impact, but to build a career that could last for years.“You see, BCCI can be proud that we are supporting a 15-year-old player who is already establishing himself in the international scenario and we are very careful to take every right step forward so that it is not a one-series or one-year wonder,” he said.The comparison with Tendulkar was particularly significant. Like Sooryavanshi, Tendulkar was thrust into the international spotlight as a teenager before enjoying one of the longest and most successful careers in the history of the game.The BCCI secretary emphasized that Sooryavanshi’s progress will be closely monitored at every stage.“We want Vaibhav’s relevance or any player of his stature to continue and serve like Sachin Tendulkar for the country or other players who became legends in the past,” Saikia said.The teenager’s rapid rise has given the board plenty of reasons for optimism. After a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, he was India’s youngest ever men’s international debutant.Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike of 237.30, including a century and five fifties, while his 72 sixes set an IPL single-season record. He subsequently won several awards including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.He also made an immediate impact for India against Zimbabwe, scoring 151 runs in three matches as India completed a 3–0 sweep and won their first Player of the Series award.His development continued in domestic cricket. At 15 years and 157 days, he recently became the youngest batsman to score a half-century in the history of the Duleep Trophy, breaking a record that stood for 57 years.

Sooryavanshi part of BCCI’s larger talent pool

Importantly, BCCI’s focus is not limited to Sooryavanshi. Saikia revealed that the board has identified a larger group of emerging players that are being monitored through the Council of Europe.“What our selectors are looking for, we have a huge number of upcoming female players who are doing well. If you look at our Indian U19 team, they are also becoming champions recently. Similarly, in women’s cricket, we are the world champions in the last two U19 T20 International World Cups,” he said.“So we look at all players, not just Vaibhav’s relevance, but there are about 10-15 players in our target group. They are named in our target group list and are constantly monitored by our COE, VVS Laxman, who is very interested in their future and their training and skill development.”Laxman’s direct involvement gives Sooryavanshi and other youngsters access to the BCCI’s central development structure as they make the difficult transition from age-group cricket to senior international cricket.This approach also reflects the board’s desire to avoid rushing talented youngsters just for their early success.