Zimbabwe’s captain, Sikandar Raza, has urged Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to grow into a generational talent and cautioned India against making snap judgements about the 15-year-old after a difficult start to his international cricket career. The juvenile opener broke Sachin Tendulkar’s 34-year-old record earlier this month to become India’s youngest debutant. But he has had trouble with short-pitched bowling in his first three Twenty20 Internationals against England.
The young batsman scored 14, 13, and 15 runs in his first three innings of international cricket after replacing Sanju Samson at the top of the order. However, he had excellent credentials before going overseas.
Sooryavanshi dominated IPL 2026 by amassing 776 runs at a scorching strike rate of 237.30 over 16 innings. His efforts earned him three noteworthy awards: the Orange Cap, the MVP award, and the Emerging Player award.
In addition, he hit 72 sixes in an IPL season, shattering Chris Gayle’s record. In February, Sooryavanshi helped India win the U19 World Cup final by hitting 175 off just 80 balls against England, including 15 fours and 15 sixes.
“Vaibhav is an incredibly gifted cricket player. It is unacceptable to criticise a 15-year-old who is participating in international cricket after just two or three games. I believe Vaibhav is surrounded by many excellent senior cricket players. “I believe Vaibhav could be a generational talent if he is managed and handled well,” Raza stated on JioHotstar.
How Sikandar Raza believes India should handle Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Raza emphasised that success should be attributed to the team’s management rather than the rookie hitter. The opener entered international cricket with high expectations because his record-breaking IPL campaign attracted attention from around the world before he donned an India jersey.
“To see what he has done over the last year, what he has done for India Under-19, and the fact that he made his international debut at the same age, these are no small feats by any means,” the Zimbabwean captain emphasised, emphasising that the adolescent’s development still depends on careful management at this early stage. These days, you don’t hear stories like that. Vaibhav is unique. How he is handled and managed will be crucial,” Raza continued.
The Harare Sports Club will host the first Twenty20 International match versus Zimbabwe on Thursday, July 23. The team management will have a chance to assist the young batter in regaining his form prior to the three-match series.
