Former England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar has made a bold claim about 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stating that he cannot see the young Indian batter making a successful transition to Test cricket. Panesar cited concerns about Sooryavanshi’s current batting technique as the basis for his assessment.
The remarks came on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, where Panesar was joined by former Australia captain Michael Clarke. The two offered sharply contrasting views on whether Sooryavanshi, India’s youngest-ever international debutant, has the tools to succeed across all formats.
Sooryavanshi debuted for India in T20Is in July 2026 and has accumulated 1,670 runs across all T20 cricket at an average of 42.82 and a strike rate of 216.32. His red-ball record, however, tells a different story: 399 runs in 17 First-Class innings at an average of 23.47.
What did Panesar say about Sooryavanshi’s Test prospects?
Panesar pointed to the rarity of players who can genuinely excel in both the longest and shortest formats of the game. He noted that England batter Harry Brook is currently the only cricketer ranked in the top 10 in both Tests and T20Is, using this as a reference point for how difficult such a crossover is to achieve.
“I can’t see Sooryavanshi transitioning to Test cricket. Harry Brook is the only one right now who’s in the top 10 in Tests and T20Is. But I just don’t think Sooryavanshi has got the technique,” Panesar said during the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast.
Sooryavanshi’s First-Class numbers do offer context for that concern. His career-best score of 93 came in August 2026 during East Zone’s Duleep Trophy semi-final in Bengaluru, a match in which he also served as East Zone’s vice-captain. Despite that knock, an overall First-Class average of 23.47 across 17 innings remains modest for a player being considered as a future Test prospect.
How did Clarke respond, and what lies ahead for Sooryavanshi?
Clarke pushed back firmly against Panesar’s view, arguing that playing all three formats remains entirely possible for a talented cricketer. He pointed to the careers of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers as players who thrived in both Test and T20 cricket at the highest level.
“I think you can still play all three formats. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers showed that. These guys were brilliant Test cricketers and unbelievable T20 cricketers as well. If a player from this generation like Sooryavanshi can make the transition into Test cricket, it is going to be unreal to watch. But whether he wants to play Test cricket is going to be a question as well,” said Clarke.
Gambhir explains Sooryavanshi’s Afghanistan T20I snub
Clarke’s point about Sooryavanshi’s own ambitions is significant. Whether the teenager chooses to pursue red-ball cricket at the highest level will be as important as whether he has the technical ability to do so.
On the international front, Sooryavanshi was part of the T20I squad that blanked Afghanistan 3-0 in Delhi, though he did not feature in any of the matches. He is set to travel to Japan with the Indian T20I side for the Asian Games 2026, where he will be among the youngest players in the entire Indian delegation.
