Explosive 15-year-old left-handed batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken the ongoing season by storm by scoring 200 runs in just four matches with a magnificent strike rate of more than 200, and is currently the leading run scorer in the 2026 season.
The Inning
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has notched up two fifties, both in 15 balls against Chennai Super Kings in Rajasthan Royals’ season opener and in the last match against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The opener scored 78 runs off 26 balls, to be precise, against the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, who replaced Jacob Duffy in RCB’s bowling attack.
The Approach
Sooryavanshi, in a short span of time, made a name for himself as someone who likes to take on the opposition bowlers right from the first ball, which is evident from the fact that he has hit the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Matt Henry for at least a four on the first ball.
He played in the same manner in the previous match as well by taking on RCB’s new ball bowling pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood and got them under pressure.
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The Big Question
Given the way Sooryavanshi has batted in the eleven matches that he has played in the IPL so far, is it safe to say that he might soon be picked to represent India at least in the T20I format of the game?
The possibility of this happening is not a far-fetched one, as India is set to tour Ireland at the end of June for a two-match T20I series, and the selectors might be tempted to draft him in the squad for that particular series.
The Rule
If we look at what the rule regarding selection of a player in the national side says, he or she must be at least 15 years of age in order to be in contention for a place in the national side and with Sooryavanshi meeting the criteria, he can be selected to represent the Men in Blue at the international level.
The Challenge
However, Sooryavanshi will have his task cut out if he is handed his India cap, as playing in IPL is a lot different from playing at the international stage, and it will be interesting to see how Vaibhav counters the challenge.
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