Vaibhav Sooryavanshi failed to make a mark in his debut series for India last month.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his historic India debut in a T20I match against England at Old Trafford last month. The young prodigy failed to make a mark in his maiden series, amassing 42 runs in three innings before being benched for the final game.
While Sooryavanshi made a great comeback in the subsequent T20I tour of Zimbabwe, his failure against the English pacers continues to be a topic of debate.
Sooryavanshi earned his senior national call-up on the back of a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign, where he finished as the Most Valuable Player and Orange Cap winner for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), hammering 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.
However, he failed to carry his sensational form into international cricket. Considering the lukewarm start to his India career, former cricketer Ajinkya Rahane is left unsure about the teenager’s Test aspirations of now.
During the IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi had expressed his desire to play Test cricket for India, sooner rather than later. Moreover, legendary Sachin Tendulkar also endorsed the 15-year-old for the red-ball format.
“It's tough to say or comment on right now,” Rahane said on whether Sooryavanshi will play Test cricket for India, while speaking on the Stick to Cricket Podcast.
“I don't want to say anything and put pressure on that young kid. Because people are already talking a lot about him. It’s just two IPL seasons. What I’ve realised is that IPL and international cricket are completely different. The pressure when you represent your country is enormous. Chasing 70 runs in IPL in 4, 5 overs easy. Chasing the same amount of runs in international cricket is different. So, let him just play his game, let him just grow.”
In Zimbabwe, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi seemed to find his footing, smashing 151 runs at a strike rate of 196.10. He scored 50 runs off just 19 balls (including an 18-ball fifty) in the opening match at Harare Sports Club, setting a record for the youngest men's T20I half-centurion at 15 years and 118 days old.
After a modest score of 20 in the second T20I, Sooryavanshi signed off from the tour with a brilliant 81 off 49 balls, bagging both Player of the Match and Player of the Series honors.