‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ticked all the boxes’: Former selector says 15-year-old deserves India cap

NEW DELHI: The meteoric rise of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should now be rewarded with an India T20I cap, according to former India cricketer and national selector Devang Gandhi, who believes the 15-year-old has already shown the qualities that could one day make him a nightmare for Test bowlers.Fresh from a stunning IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi is all set to become the youngest player in the Indian men’s team since Sachin Tendulkar’s debut in 1989. The left-handed opener has amassed 776 runs at an amazing strike rate of 237.30 after being named India’s player of the cup at the U9 Tourna World tournament earlier.“I think the way to handle him is to reward him with an India cap because the way he has performed in the last two years – he is hitting all the best bowlers in the world,” Gandhi told IANS.“He can line up, which is alarming for world cricket”While Sooryavanshi’s powerful hitting attracted worldwide attention, Gandhi was equally impressed by the youngster’s ability to adapt to different match situations.“What encouraged me was seeing him get a 29-ball 97 in his last two knocks (in the Eliminator) and then 96 in Qualifier 2, but in different circumstances. Wickets were falling from the other end. He was rotating the strike,” Gandhi said. “So he can shift when needed, which is more alarming for world cricket, isn’t it?”“A guy who is so mature that he can even take a singles game, play a situation, and still keep the strike rate 200 and above. So he ticked all the boxes for me,” he added.However, Gandhi believes there is still room for improvement, especially in the field, and stressed the importance of exposing Sooryavanshi to 50-over and red-ball cricket through India A assignments.“Test bowlers will have heart attacks”The former selector allowed himself to dream about the teenager’s potential in the longest format.“A player of that caliber definitely needs to be groomed and consulted. Can you imagine him playing Test matches with the same authority? Even half will be a joy to watch,” he said. “It’s going to be the pitchers who are going to have a heart attack. They’re definitely wondering how to stop that kid. He’s absolutely amazing.”“He takes all the bowlers to the cleaners, be it spinners or fast bowlers. The authority with which he bowls really pleases me. We are running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe him. He is simply stunned,” he added.

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