Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: The 15-Year-Old Cricket Prodigy Set for International Debut
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Remarkable Journey
New Delhi, June 26: Rajkumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Virat Kohli, has praised the young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stating that the 15-year-old deserves his chance to play internationally as India gears up for the first T20I against Ireland in Belfast this Friday.
Sooryavanshi has made headlines by being included in India's T20I squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. His selection marks him as the youngest player ever to join the Indian national team, surpassing a record held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for 36 years.
Tendulkar debuted for India against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16, a record that stood for decades. Should Sooryavanshi play in the upcoming matches, he will become the youngest Indian to participate in international cricket at just 15 years old.
In an interview, Rajkumar Sharma highlighted Sooryavanshi's selection as a significant milestone, commending his remarkable skills and fearless approach against elite bowlers. He expressed his enthusiasm for the young player's potential debut and wished him great success.
“This is a fantastic achievement for Vaibhav. His talent is exceptional; he has demonstrated this by facing some of the best bowlers in the world. He truly deserves this opportunity, and I am eagerly looking forward to his debut. I wish him all the best,” Rajkumar Sharma remarked.
Sooryavanshi's impressive performance in the IPL 2026 season with the Rajasthan Royals, where he scored 776 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 237.30, has earned him this national call-up. He not only scored a century and five fifties but also became the tournament's leading run-scorer, hitting a record 72 sixes.
His accolades include multiple post-season awards such as the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker, and Super Sixes.
During a recent tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, which included teams like SL A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi accumulated 211 runs in five innings, averaging 42.20 with a strike rate nearing 201, and his best score being 94. He also set a record for the fastest List A fifty in just 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.
Rajkumar noted that Sooryavanshi's success has motivated many parents to enroll their children in cricket coaching at a young age, hoping they can replicate his achievements. However, he emphasized that talents like Sooryavanshi are exceptionally rare and appear only once in a generation.
“Indeed, many young children are now interested in cricket, and their parents are eager to enroll them. For instance, someone brought a 5-year-old to me, and I advised them to wait until he is 8 before starting formal coaching. They questioned how their child could become like Vaibhav if they waited. Expectations have certainly risen due to his success, but such extraordinary players are born once in a generation,” he explained.
Currently focusing on ODIs, Virat Kohli missed the recent ODI series against Afghanistan due to a right hamstring injury sustained during the IPL 2026 final. However, he has been included in the squad for the upcoming series against England, following the T20I matches in Ireland and a five-match T20I series against England.
Regarding Kohli, his childhood coach expressed optimism about his recovery. “He has been at the Centre of Excellence, and I am hopeful that he will be fit for the series,” he stated.
Rajkumar is confident that Kohli will continue to play with the same passion and intensity that have characterized his career. “Given the intensity with which Virat approaches every match, I am confident he will play with even greater fervor. He has always given his all on the field, and I expect nothing less,” he concluded.