Former India opener Virender Sehwag has drawn a direct comparison between his own attacking approach and that of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the teenager’s mindset of hitting from the very first ball mirrors his own philosophy at the crease.
Sooryavanshi’s entry into senior international cricket came against England in July 2026, when he was 15 years and 99 days old, becoming one of the youngest players to represent India. Across 8 T20Is since then, he has accumulated 246 runs at an average of 30.75 and a strike rate of 186.16, with a highest score of 81 and two half-centuries. Sehwag himself retired with 17,253 runs across all international formats.
“Sooryavanshi is in his prime, and his thinking is somewhat similar to mine, that of hitting right from the first ball. Now, it is about when he gets the opportunity and how many matches he plays for India,” Sehwag said, as quoted by India Today.
What did Sehwag say about age and selection in top-flight cricket?
Beyond the comparison with Sooryavanshi, Sehwag used the occasion to argue that age should carry no weight once a player enters professional cricket. He drew a pointed contrast between two active India players at opposite ends of the age spectrum to make his case. Sooryavanshi represents Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, where his aggressive batting first caught wider attention.
“Look, if you are playing in an age-category, it makes sense. If it’s Under-19, your age should be under 19. But once you play the IPL or play for India, age doesn’t matter. A 38-or 40-year-old (Virat) Kohli is playing, and a 15-year-old (Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi is also playing. Then, performance matters,” Sehwag said.
Where does Sooryavanshi fit in India’s current T20I plans?
Sooryavanshi‘s immediate prospects of adding to his T20I tally remain uncertain. He was not included in India’s squad for the ongoing series against the West Indies, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma retained as the opening pair. India won the first T20I of that series by eight wickets and named an unchanged XI for the second fixture.
Earlier in 2026, Sooryavanshi also missed the T20I series against Afghanistan, and he is yet to feature in an international match played on Indian soil. When his next opportunity to represent India at home will arrive has not been confirmed by the selectors.
