R Ashwin doesn’t want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut to be rushed© Getty | PTI
As the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a blazing 15-ball half-century for Rajasthan Royals on a tricky Guwahati pitch against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), chatter around his senior India debut intensified. The likes of Mohammad Kaif and Michael Vaughan believe the teenager is ready to be called up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin holds a contrasting view on the subject.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said that Sooryavanshi’s debut should not be rushed as he still has more than two decades of cricket ahead of him.
“Don’t give him such a target. He is not even a man, he is a kid. If MS Dhoni is playing until 45 [44], and if Sooryavanshi plays until 40, he has two and a half decades left in cricket. Leave him alone, he will come on his own when the time is right. He is too good not to play for India. He will play anyway eventually. When will he play? For that, we might have to wait a bit. Why are we always in a hurry?” Ashwin said.
Sooryavanshi has delivered for every team he has represented. After making his IPL debut last year, the youngster became the youngest centurion in the T20 league at the age of 14. Before turning 15 a few days ago, Sooryavanshi broke several records for India in the Under-19 and A sides. Yet, Ashwin insists his senior debut should not be rushed.
Despite batting on a sticky wicket, Sooryavanshi produced shots that no other batter in either team managed to play. Ashwin was left awestruck by the youngster’s strokeplay. With him in the side, Ashwin feels the Royals have a team capable of challenging for the title this year.
“He turned 15 years old, so he scored a 15-ball 50 – he is showing his age. I mean, what a player he is! How fast is his bat speed? CSK had no answers against him; they looked a flat, deflated unit on the field. RR have put on such a dominating performance that they have said, ‘Look at us, we are also a powerful team in this competition’,” Ashwin asserted.