Vaibhav Suryavanshi's India debut on cards? Childhood coach makes stunning statement

Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha believes that the Indian youngster is ready to represent India in ODIs and T20Is.

India’s young sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha has said that the 14-year-old is ready to make his debut for the national team. He also added that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should provide the opportunity to Suryavanshi soon.

14-year-old Suryavanshi grabbed the limelight with his marvellous performance in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 earlier this year. Representing Rajasthan Royals (RR), he became the youngest batsman to score a century in the tournament’s history.

With 252 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 206.55, Suryavanshi was the find of the IPL 2025. Recently, the left-handed batsman slammed a century (171) in the opening clash against UAE in U19 Asia Cup 2025. With his knock, he set the record for second-highest score by an Indian batter in Youth ODIs after Ambati Rayudu (177).

He’s absolutely ready: Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s coach backs him to make his debut for India

In an interview with India Today, Suryavanshi’s childhood coach Manish Ojha backed him to make his debut for India, mentioning that he played against top international bowlers in IPL 2025.

“In my opinion, he’s absolutely ready, at least for the Indian T20 team. Look at the IPL – most bowlers he faced were international bowlers, and the rest were top domestic bowlers. He was executing his shots beautifully against them,” Ojha stated.

“It’s up to the BCCI to decide, but in my view, he’s ready for T20Is and even ODIs. Given the way he’s playing, he should be given a chance sooner rather than later. It would be a record for India and a huge encouragement for a young player,” he further added.

Ojha also feels that Suryavanshi is ready to play in front of huge crowds and handle the pressure of playing at the international level.

“He’ll handle it easily. He was part of the Rising Stars Asia Cup, and even there, he stood out. He played with some established India stars in the team led by Jitesh Sharma, but didn’t he stand out?” he said.

“In the IPL, he played in front of massive crowds, as loud and intense as any India match. But he played normally, stuck to his game, and didn’t show hesitation, nervousness or anxiety. He was completely calm. I’m 100% sure he’ll handle the pressure at the international level as well,” Ojha concluded.

In the past, only three players have made their international debut at the age of 14 years- Pakistan’s Hasan Raza (1996), Kuwait’s Meet Bhavsar (2019), and Sierra Leone’s George Sesay (2021).

Meanwhile, Suryavanshi got out cheaply for five runs in the clash against Pakistan in U19 Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, December 14. With 176 runs in two games, he is the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament at the moment.

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