Vaibhav Suryawanshi, at the tender age of 14, has already carved out a niche in the cricketing world. Currently representing the Indian team in the ICC Men's Under-19 World Cup 2026, Vaibhav is hailed as India's future cricket star with comparisons being made to legendary players. Former Indian women's cricket coach WV Raman has voiced a significant opinion about Vaibhav.
WV Raman expressed concern over Vaibhav Suryawanshi playing at the Under-19 level. He believes that placing a player who has achieved such success at a young age back in a lower level could be detrimental to his development. Raman's comments arose when the Aayush Mhatre-led Indian team triumphed over the USA by six wickets under DLS in their first match in Bulawayo during the Under-19 World Cup 2026.
Made Waves in Debut IPL Season
Vaibhav Suryawanshi made headlines last year by debuting for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). During that IPL season, he scored a century against Gujarat Titans (GT) in just 35 balls. He then continued his impressive streak of runs in Australia, England, and South Africa, earning a spot in the India-A team for the Rising Stars Asia Cup 2025. Now performing on the U19 World Cup stage, India faces Group-A rivals USA, Bangladesh, and New Zealand.
On platform X, WV Raman stated, 'Some might not agree with this. Suryawanshi has excelled both in IPL and for the A-team. Playing him at the U19 level might hinder his growth. He can undoubtedly win matches, but we should always aim for bigger goals.' Raman suggests that bringing a player back to U19, who has showcased talent in IPL and India-A, might limit his potential progress.
Against the United States, Vaibhav Suryawanshi didn’t perform as anticipated, scoring only two runs from four balls. However, in a warm-up match against Scotland, he smashed 96 runs off 50 balls. Despite his low batting score, he made an impact with the ball, securing the final wicket during the USA innings.
In a rain-affected match, Henil Patel's five-wicket haul restricted the USA to 107 all out. India then effortlessly chased the target, with Abhigyaan Kundu (42* runs) and Kanishk Chauhan (18* runs) leading the team to victory. India will next face Bangladesh on Saturday, and their final group match against New Zealand is slated for January 24.
