Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
For months, Indian cricket has been locked in one debate: is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ready for the senior team? Some believe throwing a 15-year-old into international cricket is a risk not worth taking. Others feel the Bihar prodigy has already shown the temperament and fearlessness that most senior players spend careers chasing. Either way, the debate itself speaks to the extraordinary impact Sooryavanshi has made in so little time.
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Robin Uthappa had wondered aloud whether Sooryavanshi’s stunning IPL 2025 campaign was a one-season burst. The teenager came back in 2026 and lit up the tournament all over again. The doubters went quiet. The question grew louder.
Now, Indian cricket has dropped its biggest hint yet. On Thursday, Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India A call-up for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka — a clear sign that the BCCI sees him as a serious long-term prospect, but is unwilling to fast-track him recklessly into senior cricket just yet.
The Sri Lanka assignment, scheduled between June 9 and 21, gives the youngster a platform to don the India colours without the crushing weight of senior international expectations. It also, on the surface, appears to keep Sooryavanshi away from India’s tour of the United Kingdom — seven T20Is across Ireland and England. But here is the thing: the UK series does not begin until June 28. Sri Lanka ends June 21. The window exists, and the BCCI knows it. If Sooryavanshi lights up the tri-series the way he has lit up everything else he has touched, the selectors may find the argument for leaving him behind increasingly difficult to make.
THE SMOOTH PATHWAY
Let’s get one thing straight: not everyone is Sachin Tendulkar. More importantly, just because one pathway worked for Tendulkar does not mean it will work for everyone else. Prithvi Shaw, once hailed as the next Tendulkar, is currently struggling to find a place even in an IPL playing XI.
That is precisely why the BCCI deserves credit for the measured approach it has taken with Sooryavanshi. Instead of getting swept away by the hype surrounding the teenager, Indian cricket’s decision-makers have chosen to move him through the system gradually, step one, then step two, rather than throwing him straight into level five.
Tendulkar made his India debut at 16 after just one Ranji Trophy season, famously scoring a century on debut against Gujarat. But that does not mean Sooryavanshi has to walk the exact same path.
The left-hander first grabbed national attention in 2024 when he made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar against Mumbai at the age of 12, becoming one of the youngest players to feature in India’s premier first-class competition.
After stepping into first-class cricket, Sooryavanshi progressed to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, becoming the youngest player to debut in Indian T20 cricket at 13. Then he added another milestone by becoming the youngest Indian to play List A cricket after making his Vijay Hazare Trophy debut.
Sooryavanshi then made waves in age-group cricket, playing a key role in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph with a sparkling century against England in the final. Perhaps it was after the IPL season he has enjoyed that the selectors finally felt the time was right to push him one step further into the India A setup.
THE PATIENCE NEEDED WITH SOORYAVANSHI
Playing in the IPL certainly means sharing the stage with some of the best players in the world and testing your skills against elite talent. But international cricket can be a completely different beast altogether. Batting on rank turners in Galle or Mirpur, facing hostile fast bowling on bouncy tracks in Perth or Durban, or dealing with the swinging ball in places like Nottingham presents an entirely different challenge.
Sooryavanshi has undoubtedly impressed in the IPL, but at the moment, he largely thrives when the ball is in his scoring zone. At higher levels, however, there will be situations where he will need to curb his natural instincts, respect difficult conditions and quality bowling, and show greater patience and discipline.
The BCCI has already shown restraint by waiting nearly two years to move Sooryavanshi from Ranji Trophy cricket to the India A setup. Perhaps it is now simply a matter of a little more patience before he earns an India cap.
AB de Villiers was known for some of the most explosive knocks in cricket history and still holds the record for the fastest ODI century, off just 31 balls. Yet, the same de Villiers once batted for 297 deliveries to score 43 runs while trying to save South Africa in the Delhi Test in 2015.
That adaptability is what made him one of the most versatile batters of all time. For Sooryavanshi to become even more successful, he too will need to add more dimensions to his game.
This is exactly why the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka could prove so important. If he succeeds, it will only strengthen the growing belief around his talent.
The sky is undoubtedly the limit for Sooryavanshi, especially with age very much on his side. If he lights up Sri Lanka, even the BCCI may find it difficult to resist the temptation of handing him his much-awaited India cap.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
