Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has urged everyone to be patient with young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying it is too early to predict his future in Test cricket. Rahane said the teenager should be allowed to grow, adding that the Indian Premier League and international cricket are “completely different.”The 15-year-old Sooryavanshi had a mixed start to his international career. After struggling on his debut tour of England, he bounced back strongly in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, where he finished as the Player of the Series.Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Rahane said: “It’s tough to say or comment on right now. I don’t want to say anything and put pressure on that young kid because people are already talking a lot about him. It’s just two IPL seasons.”“What I’ve realised is that IPL and international cricket are completely different. The pressure when you represent your country is enormous. Chasing 70 runs in the IPL in four or five overs is easy. Chasing the same number of runs in international cricket is different. So, let him just play his game, let him just grow,” he said.Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up after a brilliant IPL 2026 season.Although he was selected for the Ireland and England tours, he did not feature in Ireland. He eventually made his debut in England after Sanju Samson’s poor run with the bat.The left-handed batter struggled in his first taste of international cricket, scoring 14, 13 and 15 in three T20Is before losing his place for the final match of the series.
Zimbabwe series changes the story
Sooryavanshi quickly bounced back from the disappointment of the England tour with a match-winning display against Zimbabwe.He began the three-match T20I series with a half-century, scored 20 in the second game and then blasted 81 off 49 balls in the final match. India completed a 3-0 clean sweep, while the youngster finished with 151 runs at an average of 50.33 to win the Player of the Series award.
