‘Sooryavanshi forced us to pick him’: Agarkar on teen sensations India selection
(ICC Media Zone)As the sun set on one ‘Surya’, another ‘Soorya’ rose on Saturday. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was indisputably the most talked-about player in IPL 2026. His stellar performances have now earned him a spot in the senior Indian squads for the tours to Ireland and England later this month and the Asian Games in September. It has been a sensational rise for the 15-year-old, who made his first-class debut in January 2024 and, in just over two-and-a-half years, reached the highest level in the game.Sooryavanshi’s selection was one of the headline decisions announced by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on Saturday, with the teenager rewarded for a breakthrough IPL campaign that saw him emerge as the leading run-getter with 776 runs in 16 matches. Agarkar made it clear that age was not a consideration once the youngster’s performances were weighed up. “His performances, like I said before, he’s almost forced us to pick him with how well he’s played. I know his age, and how young he is, and how early in his career. But we can all see what kind of talent he has,” Agarkar said. The chief selector pointed to Sooryavanshi’s ability to repeatedly deliver in a high-pressure environment despite being one of the youngest players in the IPL. “You saw what he can do. I don’t need to talk about how well he is playing. And it’s not just this season. To back it up for a young kid in a competition that’s as competitive and has a high-pressure environment, and how explosive he can be and a game-changer that he can be. We’ve got high hopes of him,” Agarkar said.Story continues below this ad The teenager’s rise has been swift. After making waves in age-group cricket like the Under-19 World Cup, he translated that promise onto the IPL stage, where his fearless batting and ability to take on established international bowlers convinced selectors that he was ready for the next challenge. Agarkar acknowledged that international cricket would test Sooryavanshi in different ways but backed the youngster to handle the step up. “We’re hopeful that if and when he gets an opportunity to actually play for the country, he shows us the same sort of ability that he’s shown. Obviously, there will be tougher challenges when he plays for the country, but he’s shown great promise. He’s picked himself through his performances,” he said. While Sooryavanshi’s immediate future lies in T20 cricket, Agarkar stressed that India would be careful with his development and avoid rushing him into other formats.Story continues below this ad “His performances have made us pick him in the format that he’s excelled over the last couple of seasons in the IPL. With regards to red-ball cricket, he’s a kid. He’s just starting his journey. We’re very excited with what he’s doing in T20 cricket and we’ll take one step at a time,” Agarkar said. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also indicated that Sooryavanshi’s progression would be managed carefully. “We are very careful about his future, and our selectors and our technical persons are monitoring his every step,” he said. For now, though, the teenager’s remarkable rise has reached another milestone. From making his first-class debut as a prodigious talent to earning a place in India’s senior T20 set-up before his 16th birthday, Sooryavanshi’s journey continues to gather pace.
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