Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is like me, says Virender Sehwag on fearless batting

Former India opener Virender Sehwag sees Vaibhav Sooryavanshim as a reflection of his own batting philosophy, with the 15-year-old making headlines for his aggressive approach. Sehwag believes the youngster’s ability to attack from the first ball could serve him well as he looks to establish himself in the Indian team.

At the annual meeting of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Saturday, Sehwag contrasted Sooryavanshi’s mindset with his own, stressing that performance, rather than age, should define a player in the best cricket.

“Sooryavanshi is in his prime and his mindset is somewhat similar to 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.

“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 it’s the performance of a 15-year-old (Vaivanshi, added hey) Soory that matters.

Sehwag ended his international career with 17,253 runs across formats and was known for attacking the bowlers from the start. Sooryavanshi has shown a similar willingness to go after the bowling, but opportunities in the senior Indian team have been limited as the team management continues to assess the teenager’s development.

WILL SOORYAVANSHI PLAY IND VS WI 3RD T20I?

Sooryavanshi missed India’s first two T20Is against the West Indieswith the team retaining Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as their opening pair. India won the first match by eight wickets and kept the same eleven for the second, so the youngster waited for his chance.

India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has endorsed the value of Sooryavanshi’s inclusion in the squad even though he was not selected. Morkel urged the teenager to learn from senior players and watch the tactical side of the game while waiting for an opportunity. His selection for the third T20I will depend on the Indian team mix and the management’s assessment of the opening options.

HOW DID SOORYAVANSHI DO IN INDIA?

Sooryavanshi has scored 246 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 186.16. His highest score is 81 and he has scored two half-centuries in the format.

The left-handed batsman first attracted widespread attention with his explosive performances in the IPL at the age of 14. He made his senior international debut against England in July 2026, aged 15 years and 99 days, and has featured in India’s T20I squad since then. However, he is yet to play an international match on Indian soil as he also missed the T20I series against Afghanistan this year.

With India continuing to rely on Samson and Abhishek at the top of the order against the West Indies, Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his next opportunity to impress in international cricket.

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