IPL: Is it the right time to fast-track Vaibhav into senior India team?

Come Sunday, and Kolkata's Eden Gardens will get another opportunity to watch wonder boy Vaibhav Suryavanshi in action in the first afternoon game of the IPL season in the city. The air of anticipation among the assembled media was palpable as the Pink Army of Rajasthan Royals — who arrived in Kolkata two days before the game — got down to an optional net session on Thursday, 16 April.

If it was curiosity value which marked his presence in Kolkata in his first IPL in 2025, there is now ample evidence that the 15-year-old is showing signs of being a more ‘matured’ product in his journey through age group international cricket and the way he had been tackling legendary bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.

In the last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he tasted a rare failure when rookie pacer Praful Hinge tucked him up with some extra bounce — it will be interesting to see whether others can pick up a cue about containing him.

While he has been the flavour of IPL by a mile so far, the argument gaining ground now is whether the Indian team management is justified in pushing to fast track Vaibhav’s entry into the senior national T20 team in a couple of months.

A report in The Indian Express says that the Bihar lad has been shortlisted for the Ireland tour, where India are scheduled to play two matches on 26 and 28 June. Should that happen, he will overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s record of being the youngest debutant for India as the master had taken his bow at 16 years.

The report further added that a strong showing in Ireland could put Vaibhav in line for the subsequent tour of Zimbabwe, where India are set to play three matches between 23 and 26 July. While it’s too early to expect any official communication from BCCI about such a shortlist, the talk about fast tracking him has met with endorsement from various influential quarters — barring a few dissenting voices like Aaron Finch.

“When will he make his Indian debut? I know we’re probably getting ahead of ourselves — it’s only the first innings of the IPL — but there’s a white-ball tour to England in a few months’ time. If I were Indian cricket, I would get him on that tour,” former England captain Michael Vaughan told Cricbuzz soon after Vaibhav stuck a match-winning 52 off just 17 balls against Chennai Super Kings in their IPL opener.

Vaibhav further made his case when he nonchalantly smashed Bumrah, arguably the best T20 bowler in the world, for two sixes in five balls, including one off the very first delivery. If that wasn’t enough, he took on Hazlewood in the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, scoring 19 runs in an over, including three boundaries and a six off consecutive deliveries. He followed that up with back-to-back sixes against Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The cricketing shots which he had been employing makes him a candidate to be tried out against opposition like the Ireland and Zimbabwe, but this is where Aaron Finch — former Australia T20 captain — makes a relevant point. ‘’It might be the right moment to slowly bring him into the squad and allow him some exposure, but at the same time, it’s crucial to value the players who consistently deliver for India,’’ remarked Finch, who led the Aussies to their only World T20 triumph so far in 2021.

‘’He’s a very quick learner, whether in terms of technique or strategy, but there’s still a lot for him to improve. What stands out is his ability to approach situations with different plans, which reflects his growth as a cricketer at such an young age.

‘’That’s a rare quality, and there’s no doubt that his opportunity will arrive. But there’s no need to rush things or burden him with pressure, just let him play and evolve naturally,’’ Finch added. It’s a tough call for the likes of Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir in the coming days.