Sooryavanshi's childhood coach on India call-up: BCCI have found their poster boy
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's childhood coach, Manish Ojha, hailed the 15-year-old's maiden India call-up, saying the BCCI may have found its next poster boy. Congratulating the youngster on his historic selection, Ojha expressed hope that Sooryavanshi would become one of the faces of Indian cricket in the years to come.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's childhood coach, Manish Ojha, believes Indian cricket may have found its next poster boy after the 15-year-old earned his maiden India call-up. Congratulating the youngster on his historic selection, Ojha said he hopes the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has found a player who can become one of the defining faces of Indian cricket in the years ahead.
Sooryavanshi was named in India's squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. The selection made him the youngest player ever to be picked for the Indian team, breaking a 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking to ANI, Ojha expressed pride at seeing his former ward achieve a feat that few players manage at such a young age.
"Many congratulations to Vaibhav and his family. It is a moment of great pride for all of us. After Sachin, he is a young player who has been selected for the Indian T20 team, and as his coach, I feel very proud. I hope the BCCI has found the 'poster boy' for the future of Indian cricket in him and that he will deliver great performances and live up to everyone's expectations," Ojha said.
The coach said Sooryavanshi's selection was a reward for the remarkable performances he has produced over the last two years across different levels of the game.
"If you look at his performance over the last two years, whether it was his debut IPL season, his performance in this year's IPL, or his performance in the Under-19 World Cup, the way he batted, displaying an attacking style, dominating both domestic and international bowlers, and hitting massive sixes, was remarkable. It is precisely these qualities, Vaibhav's potential and his performance, that have earned him a spot in Team India today," he added.
Sooryavanshi's rise has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Bihar-born batter announced himself on the biggest stage during the IPL 2026 season, where he emerged as the tournament's standout performer for Rajasthan Royals.
The 15-year-old swept the major individual honours, winning the Most Valuable Player award, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker, Orange Cap and Super Sixes of the Season. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.
His fearless approach saw him smash a record 72 sixes during the campaign as he dismantled some of the best bowling attacks in the competition and established himself as one of the brightest prospects in world cricket.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's childhood coach, Manish Ojha, believes Indian cricket may have found its next poster boy after the 15-year-old earned his maiden India call-up. Congratulating the youngster on his historic selection, Ojha said he hopes the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has found a player who can become one of the defining faces of Indian cricket in the years ahead.
Sooryavanshi was named in India's squads for the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. The selection made him the youngest player ever to be picked for the Indian team, breaking a 36-year-old record held by Sachin Tendulkar.
Speaking to ANI, Ojha expressed pride at seeing his former ward achieve a feat that few players manage at such a young age.
"Many congratulations to Vaibhav and his family. It is a moment of great pride for all of us. After Sachin, he is a young player who has been selected for the Indian T20 team, and as his coach, I feel very proud. I hope the BCCI has found the 'poster boy' for the future of Indian cricket in him and that he will deliver great performances and live up to everyone's expectations," Ojha said.
The coach said Sooryavanshi's selection was a reward for the remarkable performances he has produced over the last two years across different levels of the game.
"If you look at his performance over the last two years, whether it was his debut IPL season, his performance in this year's IPL, or his performance in the Under-19 World Cup, the way he batted, displaying an attacking style, dominating both domestic and international bowlers, and hitting massive sixes, was remarkable. It is precisely these qualities, Vaibhav's potential and his performance, that have earned him a spot in Team India today," he added.
Sooryavanshi's rise has been nothing short of extraordinary. The Bihar-born batter announced himself on the biggest stage during the IPL 2026 season, where he emerged as the tournament's standout performer for Rajasthan Royals.
The 15-year-old swept the major individual honours, winning the Most Valuable Player award, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker, Orange Cap and Super Sixes of the Season. He finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30.
His fearless approach saw him smash a record 72 sixes during the campaign as he dismantled some of the best bowling attacks in the competition and established himself as one of the brightest prospects in world cricket.
