Don't wait on Vaibhav Suryavanshi: Ex-captain urges 14-year-old's Asia Cup call-up

India Today

5 hours ago

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth has thrown his weight behind 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a place in India's 15-man squad for the Asia Cup T20, beginning on 9 September. Srikkanth, who had captained a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar on his debut in Pakistan in 1989, said India should not delay in blooding Vaibhav, urging the selectors to draft the teenage prodigy into the squad in the build-up to next year's T20 World Cup.advertisementAs the selectors and team management prepare to finalise the squad for the Asia Cup on Tuesday, 19 August, discussion has largely revolved around the fierce competition for spots. At the top of the order, India face a crowded field. While Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill have cemented themselves with a high-risk approach that has flourished under coach Gautam Gambhir, both Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal remain in contention. Adding to the mix is Sai Sudharsan, the current Orange Cap winner.Vaibhav Suryavanshi certainly strengthened his case with a blistering run in IPL 2025. The Rajasthan Royals batter amassed 252 runs in just seven matches at a strike rate of over 200. He hammered the second-fastest century in IPL history, reaching the landmark in only 35 deliveries against Gujarat Titans.
He carried that form into the U19 tour of England, scoring a century and impressing across both one-day and four-day formats.'You have to play bold. Don't make him wait. Don't say things like 'let him mature'. He is already playing with remarkable maturity. His shot-making has been on another level. If I were chairman, I would definitely have him in the 16,' Srikkanth said on a YouTube show.SAMSON DOUBTFUL IN SRIKKANTH'S SQUADSrikkanth also expressed doubt over whether Sanju Samson would make the cut, and suggested he would choose one among Vaibhav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sai Sudharsan as Abhishek Sharma's opening partner."Samson is doubtful, according to me," Srikkanth added.'My first-choice opener is Abhishek Sharma, no doubt. I will have two more openers. My picks would be Vaibhav Suryavanshi or Sai Sudharsan, with Shubman Gill as an option. If I were selector, I would keep Vaibhav in the 15 for the T20 World Cup. He has been outstanding.'I think it should be Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sai Sudharsan. I would take two out of these three. That would be my preference,' he went on.Since the T20 World Cup final in June 2024, Samson and Abhishek have been India's most prolific run-scorers in the T20I format. Both have enjoyed the backing of the team management, including head coach Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, to pursue their high-risk, high-reward style at the top of the order.Abhishek has amassed 535 runs at an average of 33.43 with a staggering strike rate of 193.84, including two centuries in that period. Samson, meanwhile, has struck three hundreds in 17 matches at a rate of 171.47. However, the Kerala wicketkeeper endured a lean run in a five-match series against England earlier this year, making three single-digit scores in five innings. Targeted with short-pitched bowling, Samson struggled to find an answer and was undone.- EndsYou May Also Like