Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his weight behind a growing movement to see 15-year-old sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi quickly break into the senior national set-up, describing the Rajasthan Royals opener as a box-office talent who could revive interest in Test cricket.
Sooryavanshi became the breakout story of IPL 2026, bringing a significant spike in television and streaming numbers as fans tuned in to witness his fearless approach. While many veterans have urged caution due to his age, Ashwin believes the youngster’s ability to “seat killers” makes him a candidate for all three formats.
Speaking about the impact the fearless prodigy has made, Ashwin highlighted the sheer physicality and freedom of Sooryavanshi’s stroke play.
“He leaves no stone unturned, puts every ounce of his strength into the cricket ball,” Ashwin told JioHostar Vaibhav’s 16-ball 36 in Rajasthan’s game against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur on Saturday 9th May.
“The way he played, even in the U19 World Cup final, when he put it all together, he looks like a box-office player.
The off-spinner noted that the current window of Sooryavanshi’s career is a rare period of pure enjoyment.
“There are very few windows in your cricket career where you can absolutely enjoy your cricket and he’s only 15. I think we should let him be.”
Perhaps most crucially, Ashwin, a stalwart in the red-ball game, has expressed his desire to see Sooryavanshi’s aggressive style transferred to the Test arena. At a time when the longest format is facing competition from T20 cricket, Ashwin sees the youngster as a natural entertainer.
“I wouldn’t mind watching him in a Test match and I wouldn’t mind watching him in all three formats of the game,” Ashwin added.
“Get him to the cricket grounds, get people to come because he’s going to entertain you.”
BREAK RECORDS, THERE WILL BE MOMENTUM
The call for Sooryavanshi’s inclusion follows the historic run of the form. From smashing 175 in the U19 World Cup final to leading the batting charts in IPL 2026, the 15-year-old is proving the doubters wrong. Some might have feared a second season syndrome for Vaibhav, but the teenager has already amassed 440 runs, including a century, in 11 matches with a success rate of more than 230 in the IPL 2026 season.
Despite the hype, Ashwin suggested that the Royals’ structure allows the 15-year-old to thrive without the pressure of management.
“There’s no point in asking him to do things that he shouldn’t be doing at this stage of his career. He has experienced players like Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag and Donovan Ferreira to follow. He shouldn’t be carrying that burden.”
“If he can give them flying starts, then with the batting they have, they should win such matches comfortably,” Ashwin said.
With the BCCI selection committee reportedly monitoring the prodigy’s workload, the debate now shifts from whether Sooryavanshi will wear the India cap to how soon the board is willing to pull the trigger.
Sooryavanshi was reportedly named in the likely list for India’s upcoming tour of Ireland. The 15-year-old prodigy’s historic international debut is likely to take place later this year during the Asian Games or the home series against the West Indies, according to PTI.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
May 10, 2026 12:21 PM IST
