Vaibhav Sooryavanshi set to make India debut soon? Check details

The prowess of Rajasthan Royals' 15-year-old batsman, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, has been on full display in IPL 2026. He has now amassed 680 runs across 15 matches, batting at a staggering strike rate of approximately 300—an impressive tally that includes one century and four half-centuries. Fans have become utterly captivated by his batting, particularly following his destructive innings of 97 runs off just 29 balls during the recent Eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, legendary former Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar heaped lavish praise on the young player and even called for his debut in the Indian T20I squad. In fact, before the start of the Eliminator match in Mullanpur, Sunil Gavaskar was present on the field for the pre-match show alongside Sanjay Bangar and Jatin Sapru. As Vaibhav walked past them, he respectfully touched the feet of Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Bangar, and Jatin Sapru to seek their blessings. At that moment, Gavaskar offered him just three words of encouragement: " Lage Raho bete, Lage Raho (Keep it up, son; keep it up)."

Like other Indian fans, Sunil Gavaskar has also joined the ranks of Vaibhav's admirers. He stated that Vaibhav should now be given his India debut.

“2026 will be remembered as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Year. He (Sooryavanshi) is ready to play T20 International cricket," Gavaskar said in a YouTube show, Sports Tak.

"For England away T20 series, he will be selected. I mean he deserves to be selected after this brilliant show. If you don't give him chance after this performance, when will you give him chance? The former India skipper is quite sure that age shouldn't be a factor as he is hitting all and sundry at the ripe age of 15.

"Don't go by his age. He is hitting those bowlers who are older than him. In fact at 15, he is hitting bowlers with 15 years of international experience. Just look at his fearless approach," Gavaskar said.

For quite some time now, there has been a persistent demand to include Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the T20I squad. The next edition of the T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in 2028, hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand. The Indian T20I team has already secured back-to-back T20 World Cup titles in 2024 and 2026, and now they have their sights set on a hat-trick. The team will kick off its next T20I cycle with a tour of Ireland—a series that could potentially mark Vaibhav's entry into Team India.