Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Extraordinary Rise Sparks Calls for India Debut

Fresh from a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, Sooryavanshi is on course to become the youngest player named in an India men's squad since Sachin Tendulkar's international debut in 1989. The left-handed opening batter amassed 776 runs during the tournament at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. Earlier, he was also named Player of the Tournament in India's successful Under-19 World Cup campaign.

Speaking about the young batter's performances, Gandhi said Sooryavanshi's achievements over the past two years had already justified national selection.

"I think the way to handle him is reward him with an India cap because the way he's performed in the last two years he's hitting all the top bowlers of the world," Gandhi said.

While Sooryavanshi's explosive stroke play has attracted widespread attention, Gandhi highlighted the teenager's maturity and ability to adapt to different match situations as equally impressive qualities.

The former selector pointed to the batter's recent innings of 97 off 29 balls in the Eliminator and 96 runs in Qualifier 2, noting that both knocks came under contrasting circumstances. According to Gandhi, wickets were falling regularly at the other end, yet Sooryavanshi demonstrated the patience to rotate the strike and manage the innings without sacrificing his scoring rate.

"What was heartening for me to see is that in his last two knocks, he got 29-ball 97 and then 96 in Qualifier 2, but in different circumstances. There were wickets falling from the other end. He was rotating the strike," Gandhi said.

He further emphasized that the youngster's ability to change gears makes him an even greater threat to opposition teams.

"So, if required, he can shift gears, which is more alarming for world cricket. A boy who is so mature that he can even take singles, play the situation, yet maintain a strike rate of 200-plus. So, for me, he has ticked all the boxes," Gandhi added.

Despite his extraordinary success, Gandhi believes there are still areas where Sooryavanshi can develop further. He identified fielding as one aspect requiring improvement and stressed the importance of exposing the teenager to both 50-over and red-ball cricket through India A assignments to accelerate his overall growth.

Gandhi also expressed excitement about the prospect of seeing Sooryavanshi succeed in the longest format of the game. He suggested that even if the young batter carried only a portion of his aggressive approach into Test cricket, he could transform contests and create serious problems for bowlers.

"A player of that calibre definitely needs to be groomed and counselled. Can you imagine him playing Test matches with the same authority? Even half of it will be such a delight to watch," Gandhi said.

"It will be the bowlers who will be having heart attacks. They must be wondering how to stop this boy. He is absolutely marvellous."

Praising Sooryavanshi's dominance against both pace and spin, Gandhi said the teenager's confidence, authority, and consistency have left cricket observers searching for new ways to describe his performances.

"He is taking all the bowlers to the cleaners, whether it is spinners or fast bowlers. The authority with which he is batting is really pleasing to me. We are running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe him. He is simply mind-boggling," he added.

As anticipation grows around the next phase of his career, Sooryavanshi's extraordinary performances in domestic and youth cricket have positioned him as one of India's most exciting emerging talents. Calls for his inclusion in the national team continue to intensify, with former players and selectors increasingly viewing him as a future star capable of making an impact across all formats of the game.