Former Indian spinner and selector Venkatapathy Raju suggests the BCCI not rush Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s selection before he proves himself in domestic competition.
Teen Sensation Suryavanshi Lights Up IPL
The 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi took the world by storm with his amazing maiden season for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2025. He announced his arrival with a six off his first ball in the IPL, and in the same match, he made 34 (20), which was just a start.
On April 29, the 14-year-old hit the fastest hundred in IPL history 35 balls against Gujarat Titans, surpassing a decade-long record held by Yusuf Pathan in just his third IPL match. When a few named him a blind slogger and flat-track bully, Vaibhav showed his temperament in a tricky 188-run chase against Chennai Super Kings, scoring 57 (33) and giving his team a solid start.
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It was the year of Vaibhav Suryavanshi as he was named the Punch Super Striker of the Season and then selected in the Under-19 India squad for the tour of England. The last three months have marked his rise, and his recent innings in a practice match have also caught a few eyes, where he scored 190 off 90 balls in a Test match. The hype around the teenager is real, with fans predicting his India call-up is not far away.
Venkatapathy Raju Urges Patience with Teen Star
Former selector Venkatapathy Raju, famously part of the panel that appointed MS Dhoni as Indian captain for the 2007 T20 World Cup, has spoken about the young talent. He thinks it is too early to make that call and feels the teenager needs more red-ball exposure.
"Yes, yes, he will take a lot of time. He has to be one of those guys who needs to do well in U-19 World Cups. He has to perform quite a bit in domestic cricket. Four-day games. And we can give time. See, talent-wise, we've already seen what he can do with a white ball, right?" Raju said.
Sachin’s Example Shows Why Vaibhav Needs Time, Says Raju
Moreover, Raju highlighted Sachin Tendulkar’s dominance as a 16-year-old and his early success and consistency in the red-ball format, where Sachin scored century after century. In Vaibhav’s case, Raju feels he should be given enough time before a decision is made on his selection.
"It depends on consistency, right? We're firm believers. We might talk about somebody like Sachin, right? On his Ranji Trophy debut, he got 100. Duleep Trophy—he got 100. Rest of India—he got 100, right? All three-day games. All four-day games. All five-day games. So, like that, when you know the talent, we should give him enough time to play, do well, and if you feel he’s really good enough and can perform, why not bring him in," he said.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is currently with the India U-19 squad on the England tour, led by Aayush Mhatre.
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