Maninder Singh Criticizes Timing of Sooryavanshi's Debut
Former Indian cricketer Maninder Singh stated that 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who managed only 14 runs on his historic international debut against England in the second T20I, should have made his debut during the Ireland series. Singh noted that nervousness was evident in the youngster's performance during his first senior-level international match.
Sooryavanshi made history at Manchester by becoming India's youngest international cricketer at 15 years and 99 days, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record of 16 years and 238 days set in 1989. However, his innings lasted only 10 balls, yielding 14 runs including two sixes.
Maninder Backs Sooryavanshi but Advises Patience
Speaking to ANI, Maninder supported the "brave" Sooryavanshi to prosper in the future but emphasized that debuting in Ireland would have allowed him to experience failure in a less intense environment. "If these failures had happened in the Ireland series, by the time he came here, he might have understood and that nervousness would have gone," Singh said.
He acknowledged that nerves are natural, even for the biggest cricketers, and expressed hope that Sooryavanshi will excel in white-ball cricket, which he called "the game of the brave." Singh described Sooryavanshi's shot selection as a "shot of nervousness" and urged fans to be patient.
Sooryavanshi's Record-Breaking IPL Season
Sooryavanshi earned his maiden national call-up after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. He finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes.
The youngster also swept multiple post-season IPL honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker, and Super Sixes awards. In his IPL career, Sooryavanshi has scored 1,028 runs in 23 innings at an average of 44.69 and a strike rate of 228.95, with two centuries and six fifties, and 96 sixes.
Impressive Youth and List A Performances
In a recent tri-nation series in Sri Lanka featuring Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi made 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20 with a strike rate of nearly 201, including a best score of 94. He also smashed the fastest List A fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.
He is India's top run-getter in youth ODIs, with 1,412 runs in 25 innings at an average of 56.48 and a strike rate of 165.72, including four centuries and seven fifties. His first U19 World Cup appearance this year saw him win the title and top-score with 439 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49, including a century and three fifties. He also hit 30 sixes, the most by any batter in tournament history.
Maninder's Final Message to Fans
Maninder concluded by urging "true cricket lovers" to have patience with Sooryavanshi, calling him a talented impact player. "Whenever he plays, he will create such an impact that he'll win the match single-handedly. So I am not too worried. Because he is a brave player and white-ball cricket today is a game of the brave, Vaibhav Suryavanshi is one of them," he said.
