Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel to pick Vaibhav Suryavanshi in India’s T20I team. Vaibhav scored 96 runs off 47 balls against Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier at New Chandigarh on a tricky pitch, which had assistance for the fast bowlers, especially in the first innings.

The prodigy batter ended IPL 2026 season with 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a blistering strike rate of 237.30. He is currently the leading run-getter in the tournament ahead of the final.

Suryavanshi has impressed with his pyrotechnics and many feel he should get his maiden call-up into the Indian team.

“If I am a selector, I am thinking this year only. If any selector is listening to me, fast-track him straightaway into the T20I team. He deserves a place there. In this very tournament, some of India’s top players are playing, and he is competing against them. If his tournament has gone better than them, then he deserves a place in the team. So I think, when the team for the next series is picked, his name should be there,” Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz.

Sehwag compared the youngster to young Sachin Tendulkar, when the Indian team was wholly dependent on the Master Blaster in the 1990s.

“When have you last seen an entire team being dependent on just one player? With that player being a 15-year-old kid. If Suryavanshi moves, then only RR will move. We last saw this in the early 90s when Tendulkar came. He used to carry the burden of the Indian team. Even though RR have so many international players in their team, the team is on the shoulders of Suryavanshi,” Sehwag concluded.

It would be interesting to note when Suryavanshi will get his chance with the national team.