Just days after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi completed his epic IPL 2026 campaign, the legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar opined on the youngster’s future as a Test cricketer.
The Master said that though everyone, including him, would love to see Sooryavanshi in the whites for India, he cautioned the coaches and selectors to not add extra pressure on him or change his mindset.
Sooryavanshi has become a household name ever since making his IPL debut last season for the Rajasthan Royals as a 14-year-old.
He scored 252 runs in 7 innings in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 206 with one fifty and one hundred. Last season was only a glimpse of his talent; he unleashed everything on the bowlers in IPL 2026.
This season, the 15-year-old blasted 776 runs at a strike rate of 237. He cracked one century and five fifties, including knocks of 97 vs SRH in Eliminator and 96 vs GT in Qualifier 2.
While RR got knocked out in Qualifier 2, Sooryavanshi currently holds the Orange Cap ahead of the final, with Shubman Gill (722 runs) and Sai Sudharsan (710 runs) behind him. Sooryavanshi is also one of the contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.
What is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s first-class record?
For Bihar, Sooryavanshi has featured in 8 first-class matches, having made his FC debut in January 2024. He scored 207 runs in 12 FC innings at an average of 17 and a strike rate of 90 with one half-century to his name.
His numbers right now in first-class cricket are underwhelming, but after such a bumper experience in the IPL, those numbers should get a boost in the next Ranji season.
Meanwhile, Tendulkar attended the ESPNCricinfo Award show in Mumbai on Saturday, where he was asked whether Sooryavanshi should play Test cricket.
Tendulkar admitted that he would want to see the southpaw playing the longest format but suggested the selectors not rush him, adding that coaches should not tinker with his style of play.
“There is always a first time. In Test cricket, along with age, he will learn how to deal with various challenges. [It’s about] having a solution-oriented mindset. Problems are always going to be there. Problems will be there till the last day of your career, till the last ball you face. The bowler is asking a question every ball. Now, what solutions do you find?” Tendulkar said.
“He’s kind of a player who looks very confident, very, very sure of what he wants to do, and I would not want to play around with his natural instincts.”
Should India pick Sooryavanshi in the Test squad? Tendulkar opines
The 53-year-old Tendulkar reckoned a talented batsman like Sooryavanshi needs support and should be prevented from being burdened by expectations. Tendulkar also asked people to trust the BCCI selectors on Sooryavanshi’s callup.
“Not just me, but everyone would want to see him [playing Test cricket] at some stage. I don’t know when that is going to happen. But an exciting talent needs encouragement. And if he’s doing well, then we need to encourage and support him and enjoy above all and not put pressure on him constantly, you know, he should play this, or he shouldn’t be doing this, or he should be picked in whatever squad. Leave that to the guys [selectors] who are responsible for that,” Tendulkar concluded.
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