New Delhi, June 6: Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav SuryaVanshi has secured a place in the Indian cricket team for the upcoming T20 series against Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games. He is now the youngest player to make it to the national team.
Following the announcement of the Indian T20 team on Saturday, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar praised SuryaVanshi’s impressive performance in IPL 2026, where he scored 776 runs, including one century and five half-centuries, earning the Orange Cap.
Agarkar stated in a press conference, “We have seen what he can do. He single-handedly led Rajasthan Royals to victory in the playoffs. For a young player, I don’t need to discuss how well he is batting or how good he is playing. This isn’t just about this season; he had a fantastic start last season as well.”
He added, “Vaibhav has shown on a big platform like the IPL that he can be explosive. We have high expectations from him. I believe he has truly chosen himself.”
Agarkar emphasized the talent SuryaVanshi possesses, stating, “We hope that when he gets the chance to play for the country, he will demonstrate the same capability he has shown so far. Playing for your country is a tough challenge, but he has shown great temperament. He has forced us to choose him.”
Regarding the selection process, Agarkar mentioned, “We discuss many players during team selection. I don’t think we just sit down and pick 15 names. We believe all 15 players are deserving.”
On Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion for the Asian Games, he said, “We know how important he is. That’s why he will be there. We still have a chance to reach the World Test Championship final, and we need to perform well in the next nine Tests. Our goal is to keep him fit for ODIs and Tests.”
When asked about Hardik Pandya’s exclusion from the T20 team, Agarkar explained, “First of all, he is currently part of the ODI team against Afghanistan. If we can keep him fit for ODI cricket, it gives opportunities to players like Nitish Reddy in T20 cricket. Therefore, there will be some rotation and rest in T20.”
Regarding the inclusion of Prince Yadav in the T20 team, Agarkar noted, “This is based on domestic performance. We saw his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year. He was quite effective. I don’t think he played much red-ball cricket last year, but his white-ball performances were really good.”
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.