Don't look at his age: Gavaskar believes that Sooryavanshi is ready for India call-up
Sunil Gavaskar believes Vaibhav Suryavanshi is ready for India's T20 side, urging selectors to ignore his age and back the fearless batting prodigy after his stunning rise in cricket.
Age is just a number, but what 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is doing on the cricket pitch is pure, magic. The teenage sensation has completely captivated the cricketing world, playing with his fearless nature that has left even the game's greatest legends in absolute awe. Leading the praise is legendary former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes the youngster is not just a future star, but ready for the absolute highest level right now.
Speaking in an interview with SportsTak, Gavaskar delivered a passionate reality check to selectors, demanding they ignore the birth certificate and focus entirely on the jaw-dropping destruction Suryavanshi is causing on the field.
There was a perception that the youngster might be getting a bit too much altogether. With the hype he is causing in the IPL, alongside his exploits at the youth level, a sudden jump might derail his potential altogether. But Gavaskar believes that is more than ready for the job, at least when it comes to T20 cricket.
Gavaskar said, "For T20 cricket, absolutely ready. Absolutely ready. I hope that when the T20 team for England is selected, he gets a place in the squad. He should get it because after such a tremendous performance, if you don't give him a place now, then when will you give it?"
As far as him being young is concerned, Gavaskar gave a reality check to those critics, reminding them that there are players that are much older than him who can only dream of playing the way he does.
"Don't look at the age because the way he is hitting fours and sixes against players who are 15 years older than him, and even against those who have international cricket experience, he is sending the ball into the stands," he said.
"So don't look at his age. Just look at the way he is playing. The style in which he is playing. There is no fear at all. No fear at all," he added.
NEVER LOSE THE CHILD IN YOU
One of the most striking aspects of Vaibhav Suryavanshi's batting is the fearlessness with which he approaches the game. Drawing a comparison to how children play cricket in parks and gullies across the country, Sunil Gavaskar said youngsters rarely think about defence and instead focus on expressing themselves through attacking shots.
"When you and I were children, did we ever play defensively?" Gavaskar asked. "Only when you become older do you start thinking about defence. Even in tennis-ball cricket, all we wanted to do was hit the ball."
According to the former India captain, Suryavanshi embodies that same carefree spirit. Gavaskar said he hopes the youngster never loses the childlike approach that makes him so exciting to watch.
"The child within his game should never grow old," Gavaskar said. "Let that child remain a child because that is what gives all of us so much joy."
MORE THAN A SLOGGER
Gavaskar also dismissed suggestions that Suryavanshi's success is built purely on brute force, insisting that the 15-year-old possesses a sound batting technique.
"He's not a slogger, he's a hitter," Gavaskar explained. "There is a difference."
The batting great pointed to Suryavanshi's ability to strike the ball with a straight bat, regularly hitting cleanly over the bowler's head and down the ground towards long-on and long-off. He also highlighted the youngster's footwork, noting that he slightly clears his front leg to create a better swing path without compromising balance.
Gavaskar added that players who move too far across towards midwicket often increase their chances of missing the ball, whereas Suryavanshi's method allows him to generate power while maintaining control.
"His technique is good," Gavaskar said. "The technique of hitting comes from a straight bat, and that's why he is successful."
India play England in a white-ball tour in July, later this year. As of now there is no suggestion that Sooryavanshi might get the nod, but one thing is for certain. The BCCI selectors will be watching him closely.
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Age is just a number, but what 14-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi is doing on the cricket pitch is pure, magic. The teenage sensation has completely captivated the cricketing world, playing with his fearless nature that has left even the game's greatest legends in absolute awe. Leading the praise is legendary former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, who believes the youngster is not just a future star, but ready for the absolute highest level right now.
Speaking in an interview with SportsTak, Gavaskar delivered a passionate reality check to selectors, demanding they ignore the birth certificate and focus entirely on the jaw-dropping destruction Suryavanshi is causing on the field.
There was a perception that the youngster might be getting a bit too much altogether. With the hype he is causing in the IPL, alongside his exploits at the youth level, a sudden jump might derail his potential altogether. But Gavaskar believes that is more than ready for the job, at least when it comes to T20 cricket.
Gavaskar said, "For T20 cricket, absolutely ready. Absolutely ready. I hope that when the T20 team for England is selected, he gets a place in the squad. He should get it because after such a tremendous performance, if you don't give him a place now, then when will you give it?"
As far as him being young is concerned, Gavaskar gave a reality check to those critics, reminding them that there are players that are much older than him who can only dream of playing the way he does.
"Don't look at the age because the way he is hitting fours and sixes against players who are 15 years older than him, and even against those who have international cricket experience, he is sending the ball into the stands," he said.
"So don't look at his age. Just look at the way he is playing. The style in which he is playing. There is no fear at all. No fear at all," he added.
NEVER LOSE THE CHILD IN YOU
One of the most striking aspects of Vaibhav Suryavanshi's batting is the fearlessness with which he approaches the game. Drawing a comparison to how children play cricket in parks and gullies across the country, Sunil Gavaskar said youngsters rarely think about defence and instead focus on expressing themselves through attacking shots.
"When you and I were children, did we ever play defensively?" Gavaskar asked. "Only when you become older do you start thinking about defence. Even in tennis-ball cricket, all we wanted to do was hit the ball."
According to the former India captain, Suryavanshi embodies that same carefree spirit. Gavaskar said he hopes the youngster never loses the childlike approach that makes him so exciting to watch.
"The child within his game should never grow old," Gavaskar said. "Let that child remain a child because that is what gives all of us so much joy."
MORE THAN A SLOGGER
Gavaskar also dismissed suggestions that Suryavanshi's success is built purely on brute force, insisting that the 15-year-old possesses a sound batting technique.
"He's not a slogger, he's a hitter," Gavaskar explained. "There is a difference."
The batting great pointed to Suryavanshi's ability to strike the ball with a straight bat, regularly hitting cleanly over the bowler's head and down the ground towards long-on and long-off. He also highlighted the youngster's footwork, noting that he slightly clears his front leg to create a better swing path without compromising balance.
Gavaskar added that players who move too far across towards midwicket often increase their chances of missing the ball, whereas Suryavanshi's method allows him to generate power while maintaining control.
"His technique is good," Gavaskar said. "The technique of hitting comes from a straight bat, and that's why he is successful."
India play England in a white-ball tour in July, later this year. As of now there is no suggestion that Sooryavanshi might get the nod, but one thing is for certain. The BCCI selectors will be watching him closely.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
