Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya has backed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the future of India ahead of the series against the West Indies. Sooryavanshi recently didn’t get any game time in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

The youngster recently scored 192 runs in five innings of the Duleep Trophy while playing for East Zone. Earlier, he scored 151 runs in three games against Zimbabwe after getting off to a slow start on the England tour.

Sooryavanshi had hogged all the limelight after he scored 776 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026 at a blistering strike rate of 237.30 for Rajasthan Royals.

Speaking at the launch of the Corporate World Cup in Gurgaon, Sanath Jayasuriya said, “He is a different kind of talent. I think he is the future for India. He has a lot of time. So, give him the opportunity and he will do well.”

Sharing his views on Sooryavanshi’s future, Jayasuriya added, “Opportunities will come. I can’t tell which position he will play, it depends. But when the opportunity comes, he will grab them. So, let’s wait and see. I can’t comment on the selection and the batting line-ups. I think he is highly talented.”

The former Sri Lankan all-rounder added that the competition for a particular place in the Indian team is very high.

“The individual cricketers have individual talents and they work hard at practice and training. In India, there are always players ready to take their place and perform. The competition is so high.”

Meanwhile, there was pressure building on Sanju Samson, but the experienced batter scored two fifties against Afghanistan. Head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the series against the Afghans that Sooryavanshi will need to wait for his chances.