‘Does he have a passport?’ BCCI receives desperate plea as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s lovely arrogance pips Yashasvi Jaiswal

The Vaibhav Sooryavanshi mania is gripping shores, and experts can't wait to see the 15-year-old receive his India cap.

Updated on: Apr 23, 2026, 19:12:36 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is all set to travel to Ireland for his T20I debut, but if England great Michael Vaughan is to be believed, the 15-year-old should be in the reckoning when the team tours England for its limited-overs leg in July. India plays five T20Is and three ODIs, and even though there’s time for Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee to name the 15-member squad, Vaughan, almost out of borderline desperation, has requested the board to get the kid on that flight to the UK.

No one's more talked about in world cricket at the moment than Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI)

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi slayer Praful Hinge unfazed by instant stardom, insists explosive IPL debut is only a start

On the latest episode of the Stick to Cricket podcast, where a plethora of England legends got together, Vaughan, David Lloyd, Alastair Cook, Alex Hartley and Phil Tuffnell discussed the rampant rise of Sooryavanshi. Almost everyone following cricket under the sun wants Sooryavanshi to make his India debut at just 15. There’s a strong possibility that he might earn his India cap in Ireland, but a final call will be taken only closer to the date. Nonetheless, it’s safe to say that had any of these been part of the selection panel, Sooryavanshi would, by now, have played for the senior team.

Also Read: When Vaibhav Sooryavanshi changed his hitting arc

Sooryavanshi, world cricket's fastest rising star

Vaughan: Sooryavanshi… 246 runs, average of 41, striking at 236.

Lloyd: Shouldn’t he be at school? You can’t leave school.

Vaughan: I don’t think he’s at school, Dave. I reckon he’s going to go on that T20 trip to Ireland. Isn’t he? I would have him in the squad for the England series this summer.

Tuffnell: Why not? Why wouldn’t he?

Cook: Does he have a passport?

Vaughan: If he was 20… just because he’s 15, you’re like ‘Oh, we’ve got to be careful’. Jasprit Bumrah ran in, and he just flicked him into the stands for a six.

Hartley: It’s almost like these young kids who grow up these days have this lovely arrogance. They don’t feel the pressure are like, ‘I’ll just go and play the game’. And I love it when he just comes in and goes like, ‘Alright! Jofra Archer… bang’. See you later. Why would you not pick him?

Vaughan: The new T20 opener is him. Even Jaiswal has been playing great at the other end. But at times, Sooryavanshi has made him look ‘just ok’. And he’s outstanding.

If the last season of the Indian Premier League was a teaser, this one’s turning out to be a full blockbuster. With 220 runs including three half-centuries, Sooryavanshi is currently placed fourth on the Orange Cap list, behind Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen and Shubman Gill. Virat Kohli, winner of two Orange Caps, is currently a run below Sooryavanshi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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