"Don’t make him wait..."- Ex-India selector wants BCCI to pick Vaibhav Suryavanshi for Asia Cup 2025

Kris Srikkanth said that Vaibhav Suryavanshi has shown remarkable maturity.

Cricketer-turned-commentator Kris Srikkanth has made a surprising suggestion for India’s squad for Asia Cup 2025. The former India opener feels that Vaibhav Suryavanshi should be picked in India squad for the tournament.

Nobably, Indian selectors are going to pick the squad for Asia Cup 2025 on August 19. Suryakumar Yadav, the current T20I skipper, will lead the team in the tournament, which will be played in UAE next month.

14-year-old Suryavanshi made his debut in Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year, playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR). During the tournament, he became the youngest player to score a century in IPL history. At a strike rate of 206.55, the left-handed batsman scored 252 runs in seven matches, including one century and one half-century.

Kris Srikkanth backs Vaibhav Suryavanshi to be part of Asia Cup 2025

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said that India should not wait to play Suryavanshi in the national team as he has shown a lot of maturity. Hence, he should be part of Asia Cup 2025.

“You have to play boldly. Don’t make him wait. Don’t say things like let him mature. He is already playing with remarkable maturity. His shot-making has been on another level. If I were chairman, I would definitely have him in the 16,” he said.

“Samson is doubtful, according to me. My first-choice opener is Abhishek Sharma, no doubt. I will have two more openers. My picks would be Vaibhav Suryavanshi or Sai Sudharsan, with Shubman Gill as an option”, he added.

Srikkanth also reckoned that the young batter should be part of India squad for ICC T20 World Cup next year.

“If I were a selector, I would keep Vaibhav in the 15 for the T20 World Cup. He has been outstanding. I think it should be Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Sai Sudharsan. I would take two out of these three. That would be my preference,” he added.

Notably, Suryavanshi was also picked for India’s U-19 squad for the five-match youth ODI series in England. With 355 runs in five matches at an average of 71.0, he finished as the highest run-scorer in the series.

Meanwhile, Asia Cup 2025 will commence on September 9 in UAE. India are part of Group A in the tournament alongside Pakistan, UAE, and Oman. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong are part of Group B.

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