Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: IPL) NEW DELHI: A growing chorus of ex-cricketers is calling for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to be quickly included in India’s T20 set-up after his latest IPL heroics, even as voices of caution warn against a hasty rise.The 15-year-old shone in the Indian Premier League with a stunning 52 off 17 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings, bringing up a 15-ball fifty – the third fastest in IPL history. His fearless attack came after RR restricted CSK to 127, sealing an emphatic eight-wicket win.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026 Calling to fast track the prodigyFormer India batsman Mohammad Kaif admitted that he was initially apprehensive about the hype surrounding Sooryavanshi, but now believes the youngster is ready for the next level. “Last season I thought Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was getting hyped too early. An old school cricketer, I believe fast young players shouldn’t be rushed. But a year later I think he is ready to step up to the next level,” Kaif wrote, adding that the teenager has the ability to “have fun and play winning shots.”Echoing this sentiment, former spinner Piyush Chawla was quoted in ESPNCricinfo as saying, “If he’s going to play like this, I’d like to see him fast track.” Chawla highlighted Sooryavanshi’s consistency across formats and noted his ability to score not just hundreds but “big hundreds”.Ambati Rayudu also endorsed the youngster’s immense potential, calling him “a cut above a lot of youngsters”. However, he pointed to the challenge of breaking into India’s World T20 champion side, saying, “Remember, our Indian team is a world champion team. They won the T20 World Cup. So it’s not easy to replace someone in that side. For me, there are a few players ahead of him at the moment because you tend to pick and build your teams before the next ICC competition.”Ashwin’s warningWhile the praise was pouring in, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged restraint, stressing the need to manage expectations around the 15-year-old.“Don’t give him such a target. He’s not even a man, he’s a kid,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, stressing that Sooryavanshi has time on his side. “If Sooryavanshi plays into his 40s, he has two-and-a-half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right.”However, Ashwin was effusive in his praise of the youngster’s skills. “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.”Having already impressed with a record-breaking campaign at the Under-19 World Cup, Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise has captured the imagination of fans and pundits alike. But as the debate heats up, the challenge will be balancing excitement and patience.
