Former England captain
Nasser Hussain believes India should not wait too long before handing teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi an international debut, insisting the
Rajasthan Royals opener has already done enough to force his way into the national conversation.
Speaking on The ICC Review, Hussain was full of praise for the 15-year-old, whose record-shattering IPL 2026 campaign turned him into one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the world.
“Such an easy answer to give to that is that yes, he has to play. I didn't watch too much of the IPL to be honest, but I watched clips of Sooryavanshi and what an incredible talent,” Nasser Hussain said.
Sooryavanshi's numbers from the season were extraordinary. The left-handed opener accumulated 776 runs in 16 matches at a remarkable strike rate of 237.30. He also rewrote the IPL record books by smashing 72 sixes, the most ever recorded in a single edition of the tournament. His performances earned him both the Orange Cap and the Most Valuable Player award.
The teenager's rise has attracted admiration from some of the biggest names in cricket. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has already publicly backed him for higher honours, while batting legend Sachin Tendulkar recently praised the youngster's technique and fearless batting style.
Hussain drew on his own memories of witnessing a prodigious Indian talent for the first time, recalling his early encounter with Tendulkar during the Nehru Cup.
“One of my first games for England was in the Nehru Cup, that's how long ago it was, and this young lad strode out with pads on that I'd never seen before, and his name was Sachin Tendulkar,” Hussain recalled.
“And I was in complete awe and I've noticed Sachin putting out some tweets about Sooryavanshi's bat swing and if you can impress Sachin Tendulkar and if you can impress Virat Kohli and the rest, he's impressed everyone. What an unbelievable talent,” he added.
While acknowledging India's abundance of batting options at the top of the order, Hussain argued that truly exceptional talent eventually makes selection unavoidable.
India currently have several established and emerging white-ball openers, including Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Yet Hussain believes Sooryavanshi's case has become impossible to ignore.
“So anywhere else in the world you would say get him in. But usually at the toss you just have to name 11 players. In international cricket, who do you leave out for him?
“India have a list of batters they could play and should play, but in the end, someone makes such a case, such a consistent case, and such an incredible case for being picked. In the end, you have to say, I don't care who we're leaving out, this lad has to play,” Hussain believes.
The former England skipper also pointed out that the next phase of Sooryavanshi's development will involve proving himself in different conditions and overcoming the inevitable challenges that every young batter faces during a long career.
“And I'm getting towards that stage where you say this lad has to play because there are other challenges doing it away from home.
“Doing it against a ball that's moving around, having an eventual downturn in form, which he's not had yet, finding a weakness, maybe the short ball, who knows?
“But he needs to get through all of that before you get to a world event and he's going to be a star. We saw it in the U19 World Cup. We saw what he did to England in the U19 World Cup, to everyone, but England in particular. My word, this lad is a talent and he has to play,” he said.
Sooryavanshi's credentials extend beyond his IPL exploits. Earlier this year, he played a pivotal role in India's victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign, producing the highest score ever recorded in a tournament final against England.
The next step in his journey is already underway. Following his remarkable domestic and franchise season, Sooryavanshi has been named in the India A squad for the upcoming tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, which begins on June 9.
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