Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is set to become the youngest player in an India men's squad since Sachin Tendulkar's debut in 1989, and a former national selector says the 15-year-old has earned every bit of it.
Sooryavanshi finished his IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals having scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. He had earlier been named Player of the Tournament at India's triumphant U19 World Cup campaign. The numbers drew attention from every corner of the cricket world, but it is the manner in which he scored those runs that caught the eye of Devang Gandhi, a former India cricketer and national selector.
According to Yahoo Sports, Gandhi made his position clear. "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 told IANS.
Gandhi pointed specifically to two late-tournament knocks as evidence that Sooryavanshi is more than a power hitter. "What was heartening for me to see is that in his last two knocks, he got 29-ball 97 (in Eliminator) 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. "So, if required, he can shift gears, which is more alarming for world cricket, right?"
The ability to take singles and manage a situation while still maintaining an elite strike rate is what convinced Gandhi most. "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," he added.
Gandhi did not hold back when asked about Sooryavanshi's long-term ceiling. "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," he 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."
He continued with a broader assessment. "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," Gandhi added.
Despite his praise, Gandhi noted that fielding remains an area for growth. He also stressed the value of sending Sooryavanshi through India A assignments in 50-over and red-ball cricket before the senior stage demands more of him.
Sooryavanshi's inclusion in the squad would make history. No player that young has appeared in an India men's squad in more than three decades, placing him in company with one of the sport's most celebrated names from the very start of his senior career.
