15-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been selected in Team India, making him the youngest player. He broke Sachin’s 37 year old record. Kapil Dev appreciated his talent, but advised him not to burden him with expectations.
New Delhi: Former Indian captain and great all-rounder Kapil Dev has given his opinion on Vaibhav Suryavanshi becoming a star at a young age. At the age of just 15, Vaibhav’s career has progressed so fast that he has started being compared with legendary batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar. After becoming the youngest to win the Orange Cap by scoring 776 runs in an IPL season, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been selected for the first time in Team India for the T20I series against Ireland and England and the 2026 Asian Games. With this, he has become the youngest player to be selected in the national squad, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s 37-year-old record.
The 15-year-old player was recently a part of the India ‘A’ team that played a Tri-Nation ODI series with Sri Lanka ‘A’ and Afghanistan ‘A’. In the final of this series, he proved his ability before the international season by playing a stormy innings of 94 runs in just 29 balls against Sri Lanka ‘A’.
‘He is still a child, just enjoying his cricket’
There is a stir in the cricket world due to Vaibhav Suryavanshi progressing so fast and being selected in the senior team. Many veterans have emphasized that one should avoid placing a heavy burden of expectations on them at such a young age. 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, while giving his opinion on Vaibhav’s initial stardom, said that it is unfair to put huge expectations on this teenager at such a young age. He said that the greatness of any talented batsman can be truly appreciated only when he plays top level cricket for many years.
Kapil Dev told Indian Express, “Vaibhav is very young. But yes, he is a special talent, that’s all. He is a 16-year-old kid, and all he has is cricket. Right now he is just a kid who is enjoying his cricket.”
He further said, “We will judge him when he turns 20-22. But there is no doubt that his talent is extraordinary. He is like Sachin at the age of 16, but will he be able to play that long? He still has a long way to go.”
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Vaibhav Suryavanshi has showcased his extraordinary talent in the IPL, U19 World Cup and the recently concluded ‘A’ ODI Tri-Nation Series, making him one of the most exciting young cricketers in the world today.
Will Vaibhav Suryavanshi get a chance to debut against Ireland?
The T20I series against Ireland is India’s first assignment in the 2028 T20 World Cup and LA Olympic Games cycle. This is indicative of the selection committee’s strategy to focus on young players. 15-year-old Vaibhav has reached Belfast with Team India, where the team will play a two-match series against Ireland.
The BCCI selection committee’s decision to include Vaibhav in the senior team seems to stem from his fearless attitude, consistent good performances in the IPL and U19 World Cup and the need to build a strong core team for the upcoming big tournaments.
After his stormy innings in the final of the ODI Tri-Nation Series, Suryavanshi has further strengthened his claim to be in the playing XI for the two-match series against Ireland. Having played in foreign conditions like England, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and now Sri Lanka with the U19 team, he has good experience of foreign pitches, which will help him deal with the fast and swinging conditions of Belfast.
However, players like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are also vying for their place in the top-order. In such a situation, it will not be easy for the team management to decide whether this young player should be given a debut cap immediately or should be given a chance to settle in the team gradually.
Now it will be interesting to see how the Team India management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, strikes a balance between the desire to field this promising teenager straight away and the need to field a strong team in the first match.