The biggest debate over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is whether it’s the right time for his inclusion in the senior India squad.

While some experts think it will be unwise to try out the 15-year-old, others like Sunil Gavaskar believe he is ready for the big stage.

Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara says his performance against top bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins in the IPL show that he is up for the challenge.

“You never know if anyone’s ready until they play. And with everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him. And I’m sure that he’ll get that call-up very, very soon,” said the former Sri Lanka captain.

“He’s batted with a lot of maturity, he has shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season,” he added.

India’s next T20 series is in Ireland in June.

Following a 29-ball 97 in the Eliminator on Wednesday, the wonderkid showed cautious aggression during his 96 off 47 balls on Friday night.

“Yeah, I thought he batted brilliantly. It was a much tougher batting innings with wickets falling around him and he held his nerve and really got us to a defendable total. The guy, for 15 years old, is very mature, he reads the game really well, he reads situations well and he’s got no fear,” Sangakkara said after the Royals lost to Gujarat
Titans in Qualifier 2 in Mullanpur.

Titans’ pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada too hailed Sooryavanshi’s maturity and attacking approach. “He just keeps amazing everyone who watches the game. He’s got such fast hands, and he picks length quickly. He’s got so much energy.”

“When you’re young, you have so much energy and no fear, and that’s exactly what he’s shown, no fear and just a natural instinct for the game that allows him to perform the way he is performing.”