Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach in India: BCCI have found their poster boy

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha believes Indian cricket may have found its next poster boy after the 15-year-old earned his first India call-up. Congratulating the youngster on his historic selection, Ojha said he hoped the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had found a player who can become one of the defining faces of Indian cricket in the coming years.

Sooryavanshi was appointed in the troops of India for the upcoming tour of Ireland and England as well as the Asian Games. The selection made him the youngest player ever to be selected in the Indian team, breaking the 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.

In an interview with ANI, Ojha expressed his pride that his former charge achieved a feat that few players manage at such a young age.

“Many congratulations to Vaibhav and his family. It is a moment of great pride for all of us. After Sachin, he is the young player to be selected for the Indian T20 team and as his coach I feel very proud. I hope BCCI has found a ‘poster boy’ in him for the future of Indian cricket,” Ojha said, adding that he will perform brilliantly and fulfill all expectations.

The coach said Sooryavanshi’s selection was a reward for his remarkable performances over the past two years at various levels of the game.

“If you look at his performances over the last two years, whether it was his debut IPL season, his performance in this year’s IPL or his performance in the Under-19 World Cup, the way he batted, showed his attacking style, dominated domestic and international bowlers and hit massive sixes was remarkable. It was these qualities, Vaibhav’s potential today and his performance that earned him a place in the team.”

Sooryavanshi’s rise was nothing short of extraordinary. The Bihar-born batsman announced himself on the biggest stage during the IPL 2026 season where he proved to be the standout player of the tournament for Rajasthan Royals.

The 15-year-old bagged the major individual accolades, winning the Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Season, Super Striker, Orange Cap and Super Sixes of the Season awards. He finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 776 runs at a stunning pace of 237.30.

His fearless approach saw him smash a record 72 sixes during the campaign as he dismantled some of the best bowling attacks in the competition and established himself as one of the brightest prospects in world cricket.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

06 Jun 2026 21:11 IST