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See the full story · 1 sources'Fast-track Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for 2027 ODI World Cup': Compared to Sanath Jayasuriya's 1996 WC exploits after IND vs ZIM originally appeared on Cricket News .
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Former BCCI official Makarand Waingankar wants Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fast-tracked for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The former administrator compared him to Sanath Jayasuriya's 1996 World Cup heroics.
Sooryavanshi finished as the highest run-scorer in the T20I series against Zimbabwe with 151 runs.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets compared to Sanath Jayasuriya's 1996 WC exploits after IND vs ZIM
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's whirlwind tour of Zimbabwe has turned a promising teenager into a genuine talking point for India's selectors. After a record 18-ball fifty in the first T20I, the 15-year-old produced his finest international innings yet in the series finale in Harare.
Sooryavanshi struck 81 from 49 balls at the top of the order in the third and final T20I, laced with eight fours and four sixes, anchoring India to 192 for 5 after they chose to bat first. This took his total to 151 runs in three games at an average of 50.33 and a strike rate of 196.10. This has also made him the highest run-scorer of this three-match series.
But it was his innings today that showed as much maturity as power. For someone who has been criticised for being a slogger and not someone who can anchor a series, Sooryavanshi showed today that he has what it takes to drive an innings while also keeping his wicket in hand.
This has already sparked calls for his rapid promotion. One of the loudest has come from Makarand Waingankar, the veteran cricket administrator and columnist, who believes India should not wait to unleash the youngster on the biggest stage of all.
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Waingankar calls for Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked for the 2027 ODI World Cup side
The former Baroda Cricket Association CEO argued that India's selectors must start building depth immediately and that Sooryavanshi represents a rare, tournament-defining talent worth backing early for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be fast-tracked for the 2027 World Cup," Waingankar said . "With 14 months to go, Indian selectors must work on the bench strength." He then reached for a comparison guaranteed to grab attention, likening the teenager to the Sri Lankan opener who reinvented the art of powerplay batting three decades ago.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should be fast tracked for 2027 World Cup. With 14 months to go Indian selectors must work on the bench strength. No better talented batsman than this modern Sanath Jaysuriya who in the 1996 World Cup damaged the reputation of top quality bowlers
— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) July 25, 2026 Embed Twitter Feed
"No better talented batsman than this modern Sanath Jayasuriya, who in the 1996 World Cup damaged the reputation of top-quality bowlers," Waingankar added. The reference is a pointed one. Jayasuriya's fearless hitting at the top of the order helped Sri Lanka win the 1996 World Cup and permanently changed how sides approached the opening overs, much as Sooryavanshi's method threatens to do now.
MORE: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses out on historic century vs Zimbabwe
Why the Jayasuriya comparison carries weight
The reference is a pointed one. Jayasuriya was named Player of the Tournament at the 1996 World Cup, scoring 221 runs across the campaign at an average of 36.83, including two fifties, as Sri Lanka lifted the trophy for the first time. In addition to that, he also scalped seven wickets, including Sachin Tendulkar's wicket, in the semifinals before dismissing Stuart Law in the finals against the Aussies.
The raw runs, however, tell only half the story. Jayasuriya scored those runs at a strike rate of 131.54, a figure that was revolutionary in 1996, when most openers were content to preserve wickets, and one that would be regarded as rapid even by modern standards. This includes the famous 82 off just 44 in the quarterfinals against England that single-handedly took the match from the opponents.
That is precisely the parallel Waingankar is drawing. Sooryavanshi's game is built on the same fearless intent, tearing into the new ball rather than seeing it off, and his IPL strike rate of 237.30 suggests a player capable of altering the tempo of an innings in the same way.
A tempting idea that still needs patience
The excitement is understandable, and the Jayasuriya comparison is not as fanciful as it might sound. Both are left-handers built on clearing the ropes early, and Sooryavanshi's IPL and youth numbers suggest a ceiling few teenagers have ever possessed.
The caution is that this is T20 cricket against Zimbabwe, not a fifty-over World Cup against the world's best. Sooryavanshi struggled badly against Jofra Archer's pace and bounce in England, and the ODI format demands an ability to build long innings he has not yet shown at this level.
The sensible path lies between the two extremes. There is no need to hand a 15-year-old a World Cup spot on the back of one brilliant series, but there is every reason to expose him to ODI cricket over the next year and let his development, rather than the hype, decide the matter.
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