Cricket: “He will play for India in 2 years” - Teenage batting sensation’s former coach makes bold prediction
Suryavanshi’s stunning season for Rajasthan Royals
The Rajasthan Royals endured a torrid 2025 Indian Premier League, finishing second last in the league standings with just eight points, 11 behind the top two teams in the league phase, which included eventual champions RCB, who confirmed our tournament-winner cricket predictions.
However, the one positive that came from the Royals’ campaign was the breakthrough of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was called up to the Rajasthan squad after Sanju Samson picked up an injury.
The teenage batter produced arguably the most explosive knock of the season, scoring a century in just 35 balls against the Gujarat Titans on April 28, which smashed several tournament records, including:
- Becoming the youngest centurion in T20 cricket
- Fastest century by an Indian in the IPL
- Joint-most sixes in a single innings in the IPL
- Most runs in a single 2025 IPL over
- Highest partnership in Rajasthan Royals' history
Due to his incredible performances, the Royals opted to retain him in the squad even after Samson’s return, and the 14-year-old went on to score 252 runs in seven innings. Suryavanshi registered the highest strike rate by a batter in IPL 2025.
Suryavanshi backed to earn India T20 team call-up
Ashok Kumar coached Suryavanshi at the Bihar Under-19s and revealed in a media interview at the end of the IPL that he backs the batting prodigy to break into the India T20 senior team in the next two years. He said:
"That attitude of making the team win single-handedly since childhood was seen during his 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans too. 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.”
As it turns out, Suryavanshi will not have to wait that long to represent India, as he was called up to the India Under-19 team for their tour to England in the next couple of weeks. 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, who made his debut for CSK this season, will captain the team during the tour.
India will face England in a 50-over warm-up match before a five-game one-day series and two four-day Test matches. This tour will play a massive role in Suryavanshi's hopes of making the team for the 2026 U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
