Former England captain Nasser Hussain says India should not delay too long in giving teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an international opportunity, arguing that the Rajasthan Royals opener has already made a compelling case for inclusion in the national setup. Hussain’s message was straightforward: when a young player’s performances force the conversation, selection becomes less a question of timing and more a matter of inevitability.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Hussain offered high praise for the 15-year-old, whose record-breaking IPL 2026 run has propelled him into global attention among the sport’s brightest young talents. Hussain admitted he did not follow every match in full, but made it clear that the clips he watched were enough to convince him of Sooryavanshi’s quality. “Such an easy answer to give to that is that yes, he has to play,” Hussain said, adding that the talent on display was “incredible.”
Sooryavanshi’s season numbers underline why the debate has intensified. The left-handed opener scored 776 runs across 16 matches, doing so at a strike rate of 237.30. He also rewrote IPL record history by clearing the ropes 72 times, the highest number of sixes struck in a single edition of the tournament. The impact of his batting was recognised with both the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award, cementing his status as the defining young force of IPL 2026.
His rapid rise has drawn admiration from major figures across cricket. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has already voiced support for Sooryavanshi’s push towards higher honours, while batting icon Sachin Tendulkar recently highlighted the youngster’s technique and fearless approach at the crease. Hussain said he understood the magnitude of that kind of endorsement, pointing to his own memory of first encountering Tendulkar as a teenager during the Nehru Cup.
Hussain recalled, “One of my first games for England was in the Nehru Cup, that’s how long ago it was, and this young lad strode out with pads on that I’d never seen before, and his name was Sachin Tendulkar.” He added that he has noticed Tendulkar commenting on Sooryavanshi’s bat swing as well, and suggested that impressing such a benchmark—along with Virat Kohli and others—means the talent is genuine. “And I was in complete awe,” Hussain said, before concluding: “If you can impress Sachin Tendulkar and if you can impress Virat Kohli and the rest, he’s impressed everyone. What an unbelievable talent.”
While Hussain acknowledged that India already have several options at the top of the order in the white-ball format—naming Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan among the established and emerging group—he argued that exceptional ability ultimately makes selection unavoidable. He suggested that the logic of team sheets changes once a player’s case becomes too strong to ignore. “So anywhere else in the world you would say get him in,” Hussain said, before posing the key question: “But usually at the toss you just have to name 11 players. In international cricket, who do you leave out for him?”
In Hussain’s view, the decision should not be weighed down by the number of existing batters, because Sooryavanshi’s performances have created a rare, consistent argument for his inclusion. “India have a list of batters they could play and should play, but in the end, someone makes such a case, such a consistent case, and such an incredible case for being picked,” Hussain said. “In the end, you have to say, I don’t care who we’re leaving out, this lad has to play.”
The former England captain also stressed that the next stage for Sooryavanshi will be about proving himself in a wider range of situations, including the inevitable hurdles that young batters face as their careers grow. Hussain pointed out that international cricket brings different tests, particularly away from home. “And I’m getting towards that stage where you say this lad has to play because there are other challenges doing it away from home,” he explained, before listing the kinds of obstacles that can come with the game’s higher level—batting against deliveries that move, dealing with a dip in form, and identifying weaknesses opponents can exploit, such as the short ball.
Hussain believes those trials should be faced before the biggest global stages arrive, but he also argued that Sooryavanshi already has evidence that he can handle pressure. “But he needs to get through all of that before you get to a world event and he’s going to be a star,” Hussain said. He referenced Sooryavanshi’s Under-19 World Cup impact, adding that the youngster has already shown what he can do in big moments—“to everyone, but England in particular.” “My word, this lad is a talent and he has to play,” Hussain concluded.
Sooryavanshi’s credentials extend beyond the IPL alone. Earlier this year, he played a pivotal role in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph, producing the highest score ever recorded in a tournament final against England. That combination of franchise dominance and youth-level excellence is now shaping the next chapter of his pathway into senior international cricket.
His progression is already underway as he has been named in the India A squad for an upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The tournament begins on June 9, giving Sooryavanshi another platform to test himself further and continue building the experience Hussain believes will be crucial before he fully steps onto the biggest stages.
