Can India Afford to Overlook Sooryavanshi, and Is England Next?

At just 15 years old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already made history as the youngest player to score a century in the Indian Premier League, achieving this feat a mere nine days after his record-breaking debut at the age of 14 in 2025. Now, with his remarkable trajectory continuing, there are growing calls for him to be introduced to the international stage. Sooryavanshi's debut IPL season was marked by a dazzling 35-ball hundred at the age of 14, and he has shown no signs of being a one-hit wonder in the 2026 edition, displaying an extraordinary ability to excel on the biggest stages with the Rajasthan Royals. With two 15-ball fifties already under his belt, against the Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he stands as the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, having amassed 200 runs from five innings at an impressive strike rate of 263.15. A golden duck in the defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday served as a reminder that Sooryavanshi is human, but his ball-striking power, physical presence, and composure at the crease, all of which are well beyond his years, have left seasoned professionals in awe. "It's unbelievable how someone can hit the ball like that. He's a great talent, and we feel fortunate to have him on our team," praised India and Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel. "When you're batting and Vaibhav is smashing every ball, it makes you feel like nothing is happening on the wicket. Cricket isn't as easy as he makes it look." The question on everyone's mind now is, for how long can India afford to overlook Sooryavanshi? With the Indian T20 side recently crowned World Cup winners, it remains to be seen whether the selectors will choose to alter a winning formula, especially given the abundance of emerging talent at their disposal. However, every so often, a player of such exceptional ability emerges that they simply cannot be ignored. Names like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal come to mind, and Sooryavanshi seems to be cut from the same cloth. His phenomenal 175 in the U19 World Cup final in February, which led India to a 100-run victory over England and a record sixth title, is a testament to his ability to perform against the very best. With a packed summer of white-ball fixtures ahead, there are ample opportunities for him to make his international debut. If the calls for him to be included in the upcoming series against Afghanistan go unheeded, his breakthrough could potentially come in the British Isles, where India is set to face Ireland and England in seven T20Is and three ODIs in June and July. Whether it happens this summer or not, it appears to be only a matter of time before Sooryavanshi receives the call from India, and the world of cricket has been put on notice.