‘Might play in the 2027 World Cup’: Ex-wonderkid’s prediction on Sooryavanshi

2 min readJul 5, 2026 10:23 PM IST

Sivaramakrishnan, himself among the youngest debutants of all time for India, also felt that Sooryavanshi should be introduced in ODIs as well and backed the teenager to potentially play in the 2027 World Cup. (AP Photo)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took his first tentative steps in international cricket in India’s four-wicket defeat to England in the second T20I. The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi became the youngest to ever play international cricket for India and former spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan felt that he should be made to play as many games as possible now that he has been given a debut.

Sivaramakrishnan, himself among the youngest debutants of all time for India, also felt that Sooryavanshi should be introduced in ODIs as well and backed the teenager to potentially play in the 2027 World Cup. “He sure should get a chance at the upcoming 50 overs World Cup if he does exceedingly well in the T20 format. He should get an opportunity because he’s going to be a match winner,” Sivaramakrishnan told PTI. “When he scores runs, he’s going to be a match-winner in all formats of white-ball cricket,”

Sivaramakrishnan also felt that Sooryavanshi wouldn’t need rest due to his age and because he is a batsman. “He should be given a fair amount of chances with white ball cricket and see how he performs. He should continue. I mean, there’s no point in blooding a youngster and giving him a break or resting him. He doesn’t need rest. He can keep playing right throughout the year,” he said.

“Especially as a batter, he doesn’t need a bowler’s fitness. And batting for long periods of time will also give him that concentration, the mental work that he can do for long periods of time,” the former Tamil Nadu leg-break bowler observed.

While Sooryavanshi made 14 off 10 balls including two sixes in his maiden game, Sivaramakrishnan urged Indian team management to not think of resting him from now on.

“Once you decide to play him, you have got to give him ample opportunities. Remember, he is an investment for the next 20 years. I think what Vaibhav needs now is a lot of support from the coach (Gautam Gambhir) and the captain (Shreyas Iyer) and the rest of the players. Even if he does not do well in a few games, he should be backed. He should be continued,” he said.