Chaminda Vaas urges patience with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, backs teenager for long India career

Chaminda Vaas has backed teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to enjoy a successful India career but urged fans not to place excessive expectations on the 15-year-old. The former Sri Lanka pacer also praised the Telangana T20 League for nurturing emerging talent.

Hyderabad: Former Sri Lanka fast bowler Chaminda Vaas, currently serving as the official mentor of the Palamuru Strikers in the Telangana T20 League (TG20), believes teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has all the ingredients to enjoy a successful international career but urged fans and experts not to burden the 15-year-old with unrealistic expectations.

Speaking to IANS, Vaas said India has consistently produced world-class young cricketers over the years and expressed confidence that Sooryavanshi will eventually establish himself in the national side if allowed to develop naturally.

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“Well, India has produced so many young talent over so many years. And this new sensation, Sooryavanshi, is still young, and I am sure he will get the opportunity to play for India and do well, but one thing I will ask of the people is that he is still young and not to pressurise him, and I am sure he will do wonders for Indian cricket.”

Sooryavanshi, who grabbed headlines by amassing 776 runs at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30 to bag the Player-of-the-Tournament honour in IPL 2026 for Rajasthan Royals, is currently eyeing a much-anticipated international debut for India in the ongoing five-match T201 series against England. Sooryavanshi was unused in Ireland, as India suffered a shock 2-0 series loss.

Vaas also lauded the TG20, saying tournaments of this nature are crucial in identifying and nurturing young talent while providing aspiring cricketers with a pathway to the IPL and eventually the Indian team.

“Hyderabad Cricket Association organizing the first Telangana T20 is good for the youngsters, and there’s so much potential I can see with all the teams. Especially if you take Palamuru Strikers, there are quite a few youngsters coming through the ladder, and I’m really pleased with their performance, but even though as a team we didn’t perform, there are a few individuals striking really well,” He said.

Asked to compare the TG20 with other domestic T20 competitions across the country, Vaas said India’s cricketing ecosystem has become a benchmark in developing young players by ensuring regular competitive opportunities at the state level.

“Indian cricket has done a great job for youngsters, and not only in Hyderabad, I think every state they organize a T20 tournament and give so much exposure, so much opportunity, as well as the experience to get into IPL, and that’s how most of the cricketers have come up. And it’s really good to see the youngsters are stepping into the next level,” he added.