Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: What next for IPL’s 15-year-old wonderkid?


Despite those struggles, both Dasgupta and Yardy are convinced Sooryavanshi has the talent to successfully play red-ball cricket in the future.

Though he averages only 17.25 in eight first-class matches for Bihar, having made his debut aged 12, he has two centuries in under-19 Tests against Australia.

“He is doing things now that players double his age are doing,” Yardy says.

“You imagine, if he keeps going the way he is, he can play all formats of international cricket.”

Dasgupta adds: “What people notice are the fours and sixes but he does not hit every ball for a four or six. He does defend as well.

“He has a good defence as well and a good technique.”

But before that and as the only uncapped player in the top 10 of the IPL run-scoring list this year, some are already wondering whether an international call-up could come as soon as this summer.

In June, England host India for a five-match T20 series. Could Sooryavanshi make the squad of the back-to-back world champions?

Usurping incumbent openers Abhishek Sharma, the top-ranked T20 batter in the world and Sanju Samson – India’s match-winner in the semi-final and final of this year’s World Cup – will be an almighty challenge.

“It is a valid question with the way he has played,” Dasgupta says.

“The other side of playing international cricket and having a long career is whether you are mentally ready for the rigours.

“The people in the system have a duty of care to make sure this talent is handled and mentored properly.

“He should be part of the set-up, not necessarily push him into playing straight away, but keep him in the set-up, let him grow in that environment of international cricket and if possible maybe play one game here.”

Similar questions may soon be asked of Yardy, with the likes of Somerset’s Thomas Rew, his under-19 skipper, already being touted as a senior England star of the future.

“As much as it is great to give young players an opportunity you want to make sure they have a deep confidence they can do it,” he says.

“I am sure [Sooryavanshi] has a very deep confidence in what he is doing now but generally when players go up you don’t want them to be thinking ‘I don’t belong here’.”

That is not to say he would be afraid of pushing youngsters for high honours.

“You see it in all sports,” Yardy says. “Max Dowman is playing for Arsenal at 15.

“Young people are generally developing quicker in all sports now, through higher level facilities and more exposure to coaching – technical, tactical and physical.

“From a coaching point of view we have to make sure we are not getting caught looking back on how it was 15 years ago, when players were coming through at 19, 20.

“If players are physically strong enough and mentally can deal with situations it is not a worry with age really.”



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