Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had one of the most talked-about IPL seasons in recent memory. The 15-year-old from Samastipur, Bihar, smashed 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 237.31, hit 72 sixes, won the Orange Cap, and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Now the question surrounding him is what comes next.
India are scheduled to play two T20Is in Ireland starting June 26, and calls have grown for Sooryavanshi to be included in the senior squad. Several former cricketers have backed an immediate promotion. Sooryavanshi is already part of the India A squad touring Sri Lanka.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar is urging patience. Speaking to Sportstar, he said that Sooryavanshi would be next in line after incumbents Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, but pushed back on rushing the teenager into difficult overseas conditions.
"Would not be a great idea to put him straight into, you know, foreign kind of, on a foreign pitch, like New Zealand, South Africa, overseas. He might go out there and repeat what he has done in the IPL. But, yeah, it's a tough one when you look at the contenders. Whether Gill is in front or Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, it's a tough call to make. So, let it happen organically and see how it goes," Manjrekar said.
He also noted how fast things can change in T20 cricket. "Few months and things changed. No one talking about Abhishek Sharma," he remarked.
Manjrekar did not dismiss Sooryavanshi's ability. He pointed to the teenager's ball sense, range, and hitting talent as genuinely impressive qualities. But he also raised the question of what kind of player Sooryavanshi wants to become long term.
"If he wants to just be a T20 sensation and focus on T20 cricket, so be it. And that shouldn't be held against him. But then you'll be judged only as a T20 phenomenal player. He plays 50-over cricket, and I think there's great value in certain conditions for him to bat in the first 10 overs and do what Rohit Sharma did in the 2023 World Cup. Even better than Rohit," Manjrekar said.
His preference is for Sooryavanshi to be introduced to international cricket in conditions that resemble what he faced in the IPL, rather than sending him straight to challenging pitches abroad. The Ireland series begins June 26, and selectors have not yet announced the squad.