India will play two T20Is against Ireland in June.
Sooryavanshi swept the award ceremony in the IPL 2026, winning the Orange Cap for the most runs, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, and awards for most sixes and strike rate. He had scored 776 runs in 16 games, with a strike rate of 237.31, with one century and five fifties in his first full season for the Rajasthan Royals.
Sooryavanshi has been named in the Indian A squad for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, also involving Afghanistan A. He has also been named in the India probables list for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
The Indian team, they will play in the one-off Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan. After this, India will embark on a tour to the UK, where they will play two T20Is against Ireland and 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is against England.
“He (Sooryavanshi) is not just a prodigy or a super talent. He is already among the best in the world in T20 cricket. He should be fast-tracked immediately into the Indian side. He should be picked for the Ireland series, which happens after the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka,” Prasad said to PTI.
“I think it's nicely poised for him to be drafted into the senior Indian team. I think he is going to flourish in the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka as well. See, there is no point holding him back. He is going to play for India soon, and he is going to play for a long time," he added.
“Playing India A and then playing for India is usually the norm, but playing high-pressure IPL among the best in the world is the best way to get into the Indian side. I think the selectors are also thinking along the same line. It’s just a matter of time before he will play for India and will play for a long time," he added.
Prasad, who played six Tests and 17 ODIs between 1998 and 2000, urged that Sooryavanshi start with T20Is and then proceed to other formats.
“Forget India, he is one of the best in the world. He is undoubtedly a big surprise package. Though he should play for India in T20Is, he should be monitored well for two years, and then he can be on his own. He should slowly start from T20Is, then to ODIs & other formats," he said.
Prasad is also confident that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has what it takes to do well not in T20Is, but in other formats as well.
“Of course, he has it in him to play the longer formats, as he has shown he can take the best of the world and tear them apart. The best part is he has so much understanding of the game," Prasad said.
(PTI inputs)