Momentum around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has only intensified with each passing day, with both cricket observers and fans increasingly backing the 15-year-old to step into senior international cricket soon. Sooryavanshi’s reputation has surged after he lit up the tournament with a ferocious batting approach, finishing the season with the Orange Cap by scoring 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. Even though the teenager has been named in the India A squad for the forthcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka, the argument for an earlier call-up to the senior national team has grown louder.
Ajay Jadeja, the former India batter, revealed how his conversations at the IPL 2026 final played out after he watched the summit game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. When asked what he made of Sooryavanshi’s recent displays, Jadeja said he was highly impressed by the teenager and described a direct exchange he had regarding the youngster’s promotion to the top level.
Jadeja shared that during the final, he asked BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar about the timeline for picking Sooryavanshi. He also insisted that, in his view, the moment is already right for the youngster’s inclusion. “How much better can he perform? I saw the chairman and asked him ‘Mr. Chairman! When will you pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi? If not now, then when? Irrespective of his age, how could anyone possibly bat better than this?’” Jadeja said.
Former India chief selector MSK Prasad went even further in his praise, calling Sooryavanshi a “super talent” and describing him as the “best in the world in T20 cricket.” Prasad believes the next step should be immediate consideration for the Ireland series scheduled later this month, and he suggested that Sooryavanshi should not be kept waiting.
“He is not just a prodigy or a super talent. He is already among the best in the world in T20 cricket. He should be fast tracked immediately into the Indian side. He should be picked for the Ireland series which happens after the India A tri series in Sri Lanka,” Prasad told PTI in an exclusive conversation from his hometown on Monday morning.
Prasad added that the timing is set up well for Sooryavanshi to build on his form during the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka. In his view, there is little to be gained by delaying the process, because the teenager is expected to represent India soon and for a long stretch.
“I think, it’s nicely poised for him to be drafted into the senior Indian team. I think he is going to flourish in the India A tri series in Sri Lanka as well. See, there is no point holding him back. He is going to play for India soon and he is going to play for a long time,” Prasad predicted.
He also argued that high-pressure T20 cricket—especially in the IPL—offers the clearest pathway into the senior setup. Prasad said the usual route is to progress from India A to India, but that matching such exposure with elite franchise competition would accelerate selection decisions.
“Playing India A and then playing for India is usually the norm but playing high pressure IPL among the best in the world is the best way to get into the Indian side. I think the selectors are also thinking on the same line. It’s just a matter of time that he will play for India and will play for a long time,” he reiterated.
