New Delhi, June 6: Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi has secured a place in the Indian cricket team. He has been selected for the T20 series against Ireland and England, as well as for the Asian Games. This makes him the youngest player to join the Indian team.
Following the announcement of the Indian T20 team on Saturday, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that Vaibhav’s impressive performance in IPL 2026 earned him a spot. He scored 776 runs, including one century and five half-centuries, across 16 matches, winning the Orange Cap.
In a press conference, Agarkar remarked, “We have witnessed his capabilities. He single-handedly led the Rajasthan Royals to victory in the playoffs. For a young player, I need not elaborate on how well he has been batting or performing. This is not just about this season; he had a remarkable start last season as well.”
He added, “Vaibhav has demonstrated his explosiveness on a big stage like the IPL. We have high expectations from him. I believe he has truly earned his selection.”
Agarkar emphasized, “We can all see the kind of talent he possesses. We hope that when he gets the chance to play for the country, he will showcase the same caliber he has displayed so far. Clearly, playing for your country is a tough challenge, but he has shown excellent temperament. He has compelled us to choose him.”
The chief selector also mentioned, “We are very excited about what he is doing in T20 cricket. As selectors, BCCI, and coaching staff, we can help guide him in the right direction.”
Regarding Rajat Patidar, who despite his strong batting and leading RCB to a title could not make the team, Agarkar said, “We discuss many players during team selection. I don’t think we just sit down and list 15 names. We believe all 15 players are deserving.”
On Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion for the Asian Games, he noted, “We know how crucial he is. That’s why he will be there. We still have a chance to reach the World Test Championship final. We need to perform well in the next nine Tests. Our goal is to keep him fit for ODIs and Tests.”
Commenting on Hardik Pandya not being included in the T20 team, Agarkar said, “First of all, he is currently part of the ODI team against Afghanistan. If we can keep him fit for ODI cricket, it allows us to give opportunities to players like Nitish Reddy in T20s. Therefore, there will be some rest and rotation in T20s.”
Regarding Prince Yadav’s inclusion in the T20 team for the Ireland and England series, Agarkar stated, “This is primarily based on domestic performance. We observed his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year. He was quite effective. I don’t think he played much red-ball cricket last year, but his white-ball performances were indeed impressive.”
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