Vaibhav Suryavanshi's India call-up buzz shut down by ex-selector

Following his spectacular batting performance in the 2025 Indian Premier League, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the rising star from the Rajasthan Royals, has swiftly gained attention. Many supporters are already demanding that he be added to the Indian national team because of his daring strokeplay and game-winning knocks. 

Advertisment

Certain experts have noted early similarities between the Suryavanshi and the renowned Sachin Tendulkar. Venkatapathy Raju, a former spinner and selector for India, thinks the BCCI should avoid the temptation to give the young player a head start.

Sachin Tendulkar, the Master Blaster, started his domestic cricket career in the same way. The rest, they say, is history. He then continued to play for India when he was sixteen years old. Tendulkar only ended his career after becoming the best batter in the history of the game. 

Fans and commentators have begun equating Vaibhav with the greatest in the sport due to his exceptional batting. Given his desire and style of play, many supporters believe the young left-hander may contribute to the Indian Test team.

Advertisment

Former Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju, however, disagrees. Raju, who was also the BCCI selector for India's 2007 World T20 team, told the Hindustan Times that he believes supporters and the board will have to wait a while before Suryavanshi is spotted wearing Indian gear.

"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 him, what he can do with a white ball, right?" Raju said.

Raju reminded supporters of the great batter's outstanding local accomplishments prior to his international debut and rejected early comparisons to Sachin Tendulkar.  “Sachin got a hundred on debut in the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, and the Irani Trophy. All were longer-format matches,” he said. "A player is genuinely prepared for the international stage when they exhibit that level of consistency in a variety of situations and match formats."

Advertisment

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!