Is 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi ready for India after stunning IPL rise?
Fifteen-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fearless IPL performance against Jasprit Bumrah has reignited debate about fast-tracking him into the Indian senior team, with mentors like V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid already recognising the youngster’s immense potential.
Hyderabad: Far away from the madding crowds, one gentleman cricketer and arguably one of the finest batters ever to grace contemporary cricket, V.V.S. Laxman should be sporting a big smile of immense satisfaction when the genius of 15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been blossoming to its full potential!
It is worth mentioning here Laxman was there as Head of BCCI Centre of Excellence in Namibia with the victorious 2026 World Cup (under-19) Indian team in January this year, giving his invaluable inputs to the head coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar and bowling coach Sunil Joshi along with other support staff to mould the young Indian talent to be ready for the bigger challenges ahead . And, Suryvanshi cracked a match-winning, 80-ball 175 in the final!
So, when the 15-year-old Suryavanshi passed the litmus test in style – facing the best fast bowler across all formats in contemporary cricket, Jasprit Bumrah, in the IPL in Guwahati on Tuesday night in a truncated 11-overs game — it may not have surprised the likes of Laxman or his illustrious teammate Rahul Dravid, who also mentored the young Suryavanshi at Rajasthan Royals earlier.
What makes this boy from Bihar stand out from the rest of the crowd is his out of the world hand-eye coordination and the ability to pick the line and length of which ball to be hit. And, that he does with so much of freedom, class, power and precision is something which is God’s gift, to be put it simply.
Importantly, unlike some of the younger talent who showed similar glimpses of talent only to fade away for want of discipline and dedication, Suryavanshi is apparently groomed in the most perfect manner by his mentors and coaches.
Well, many critics questioned the very concept of the high-profile IPL, fearing that it would encourage slam-bang cricket and not those who dream of playing the Test format, which remains the ultimate test of skills for any cricketer even now.
But, it is undeniable that it is the IPL which has become the biggest platform for any young talent to play fearless cricket and this young opener tops that list when it comes to paying little respect to reputations.
Yes, Suryavanshi’s first-class record of eight matches, 207 runs at 17.24 average since making his debut against Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy match in January 2024 scoring 19 and 12, with just one fifty may not make any critic stand up and vouch for his readiness for this format of the game.
But, that someone like Jasprit Bumrah was sent into a ‘thinking mode’ after being hit for of the first ball faced by Suryavanshi in the IPL game in Guwahati the other night is itself a tribute that this young talent means business.
The big question crops up – is Suryavanshi ready to make it to the India senior team?
The ease with which he repeatedly serves reminders, if needed, of his growing reputation makes Suryavanshi truly special.
Well, Sachin Tendulkar might have waited for a few more years but for former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar’s insistence that the 15-year-old should play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy. And, the rest is history!
“The (selectors) said ‘it’s too early for him. If he gets injured, we will be blamed. So we will wait for a while’. I said you keep him in the 15-member squad so that he is around the team and can learn the atmosphere of the team’,” Vengsarkar recalled once.
Yes, the biggest factor in Sachin becoming all-time great was that he seized on the opportunities that came his way. So, it may not be out of place to suggest that Suryavanshi too needs to be pushed, not to wait for too long for many a brilliant career has drifted away to a point of no return within a short span of time for a combination of reasons.
Afterall, the preparations and planning for the 2027 ODI World Cup are already on. And, with India playing 10 T-20 internationals in Ireland, England and Zimbabwe after this IPL, it might just be the right time for the selectors to ‘test’ whether Suryavanshi is ready or not!
Definitely, Suryavanshi can wait to graduate to Test cricket over a period of time as he is yet to pass the big test of patience and skills required in a four-day format. But, it will be criminal to delay his entry into the India senior team for too long, atleast, in the shorter formats.
