former indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar Vaibhav Sooryavanshi said he is ready for international cricket but only in the T20 format for now. He mentioned the youngster’s performance in IPL 2026, where he scored runs against top bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, but also said that he still has some areas to improve.15-year-old Sooryavanshi came into the limelight last year with a century in his first IPL season. He subsequently went on to feature in both domestic cricket and the Under-19 level, including a 175-run performance in the U-19 World Cup final earlier this year. In IPL 2026, he scored 404 runs in 10 games with a strike rate of 237.64.His performance sparked discussions about whether he could be included in the Indian squad after the IPL, with Manjrekar saying he has done enough to deserve consideration.“Think of the IPL as a platform for the Indian T20 team and watch his performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he scored 100 runs [vs Maharashtra]I think he has done enough. If someone lights up the stage like that, then he’s ready,” he said in an interview with Sports Star.Meanwhile, Manjrekar said that it might not be easy for Sooryavanshi to get a place in the team as there are already many openers vying for it, including Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.He said Sooryavanshi is part of a group of T20 batsmen who create space for the bats to hit, but added that his technique needs to change if he wants to play longer formats.“Take the example of all the consistent T20 batsmen of the past few years, Sooryavanshi would stand on the leg side and hit the ball on mid-stump because he was standing on the leg side of the ball. In Test cricket, the advice is to stay closer to the ball. In England or Australia, South Africa, you won’t get 20 runs away from the ball,” he opined.He added, “If you want your kid to be famous and rich, T20 batting is for you. If you want him to gain respect from critics like us, keep him close to the line.”
