Vaibhav Suryavanshi's Childhood Coach Backs Him For India Debut In Two Years
Though Rajasthan Royals' campaign in IPL 2025 was a forgettable one, they did unearth a future star in young batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi. With his eye-catchy stroke-play and belligerent six-hitting ability, the teenager amassed 252 runs in seven innings of IPL 2025. With the blazing 35-ball century against Gujarat Titans' and a mature fifty against Chennai Super Kings fresh in everyone's memory, 14-year-old Suryavanshi's next big challenge will be to do well for India on their multi-format tour of England in June-July.
Ashok Kumar, who coached Suryavanshi in the Bihar U19 and men's senior teams, believes Suryavanshi can be fast-tracked into senior men's T20I team in two years' time, provided he works on his fitness and fielding.
"That attitude of making the team win single-handedly since childhood was seen during his 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans too. With Rahul Dravid sir and Vikram Rathour sir there, it has enhanced his batting. The practice he did with the white ball, he started getting better at it in three months. He has learnt to read the situations well.
"So, all these things show the bright future this kid has. My prediction is, if Vaibhav improves his fitness and his fielding, then in the next 2 years, he will be in the senior T20 Indian team. I really think the BCCI will give him a chance, as barring two to four players, rest of them in the T20I team are majorly 25 or below years old,” said Kumar in an exclusive conversation with IANS on Friday.
India U19 will play England U19 in a 50-over warm-up match, a five-match one-day series and two multi-day games. This will also be Suryavanshi's first brush with playing in tough conditions in England, which also starts the road to India preparing for