‘With his performances, he has forced us to pick him’ – Agarkar on Sooryavanshi

'With his performances, he has forced us to pick him' – Agarkar on Sooryavanshi

As expected, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was selected in the Indian squad for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games between July and September. Ajit Agarkar revealed that handing the teenager his maiden India cap was not a difficult call.

"With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him. For a young kid, I don't need to talk about how well he is playing. And it's not just this season. He had a great start last season," the chief selector said while announcing the India squad on Saturday.

"To back it up in a competition as competitive and high-pressure, and how explosive he can be… Like everyone else who has watched T20 cricket in India, we have high hopes of him. He has picked himself."

Playing only his second IPL season, Sooryavanshi won the Orange Cap with 776 runs at a strike rate of over 230. His exploits largely helped Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs. "We've seen what he can do. He almost single-handedly carried Rajasthan Royals towards the playoffs."

The selectors also remembered his 175 in the Under-19 World Cup final in South Africa, where India won the trophy. "We know what he was doing at Under-19 level. We can all see the talent he has. We're hopeful that if he gets an opportunity to play for the country, he shows the same ability."

Agarkar clarified that the committee is not rushing him into red-ball cricket. "His performances made us pick him in the format he has excelled in over the last couple of IPL seasons. Regarding red-ball cricket, he's a kid. Let him be. He's just starting his journey. When the domestic season starts and he plays red-ball cricket, we'll observe. At this point, why jump the gun? We're excited about what he's doing in T20 cricket."

"Hopefully, we can help guide him in the right direction. We're focused on what he can bring to the T20 team, and we'll take it one step at a time."

Sooryavanshi is currently in Sri Lanka for a tri-series involving India A, Sri Lanka A, and Afghanistan A. After that, he will fly to Ireland for two T20Is, then travel to England for a five-match T20I series, before leaving for the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.