Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may be India’s future, but don’t rush him: Sanath Jayasuriya
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could be India’s future but the teenager should not be rushed into the playing XI, former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya said on Sunday. Jayasuriya described Sooryavanshi as a “different kind of talent” and said India should give him time to develop.
The 15-year-old was part of India’s squad for the recent T20I tri-match against Afghanistan, but he didn’t get the gameas the team retained Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as its opening pair.
“He is a different kind of talent. I think he is the future for India. He has a lot of time. So give him an opportunity to do well and he will do well,” Jayasuriya told PTI on the sidelines of the Corporate World Cup launch.
Jayasuriya, who was one of Sri Lanka’s key performers in their 1996 World Cup triumph, backed Sooryavanshi to make the most of his chances when they came.
“Opportunities will come. I can’t say what position he will play, it depends. But when the opportunities come, he will take them. So we will wait and see.
“I can’t comment on selection and batting line-ups. I think he is very talented,” he said.
Jayasuriya also pointed to the competition for places in the Indian team and said that Abhishek and Samson will have to continue to perform.
“Individual cricketers have individual talent and work hard to train and practice. In India, there are always players ready to take their place and perform. The competition is so high.”
The former Sri Lankan captain also praised India’s standards across all three formats.
“India has a high standard of cricket. They play all the games – ODIs, T20s and Tests. It’s not easy when you play all three formats of the game.
“In India, they have such a high level of passion to play for the country. So that’s why most of the players do well and want to represent the country.”
Jayasuriya also spoke about the importance of corporate cricket in providing opportunities to players who have not made it to the IPL, state teams or other higher levels.
“When you play in all the cities across India, there are corporate players who have an opportunity and want to do well and want to show that some individuals are capable of representing the country.
“There are so many players who didn’t get an opportunity during the IPL, so they are getting those opportunities.
“So players who are in the corporate sector and didn’t get an opportunity to play at the club, at other levels or at the state levels will get an opportunity to come and play here. So that’s why I think it will be good for Indian cricket,” he concluded.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
20 Sep 2026 20:30 IST