Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar says Sooryavanshi ‘deserves’ India debut, calls him ‘once in a generation player

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma hailed India’s teen batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying that the 15-year-old prodigy “deserves” his international debut, as India prepare to take on Ireland in the first T20I of the two-match series, on Friday in Belfast.

The 15-year-old cricketer was named in India’s T20I squads for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games. He became the youngest-ever player to be picked for the Indian national side, breaking a 36-year-old record held by legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar had made his India debut against Pakistan in 1989 at the age of 16, setting a record that stood for a very long time. If Sooryavanshi finds a place in the playing 11 during India’s tour, he will become the youngest Indian to play international cricket at the age of 15.

#WATCH Delhi: On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s recent performance, Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma says, “Vaibhav has a unique talent. The way he has thrashed the world’s best bowlers. Vaibhav is absolutely deserving of making his debut for the Indian team. I’m happy for… pic.twitter.com/UDJA9ETAbv

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2026

Rajkumar Sharma described Sooryavanshi’s selection as a remarkable achievement, praising his exceptional talent and fearless performances against top bowlers. He said the youngster has earned his opportunity, expressed excitement about his potential debut, and wished him success.

“It’s a magnificent achievement, I’d say, for Vaibhav. He possesses exceptional talent; he’s shown it by the way he’s taken on all the world’s best bowlers. So, he truly deserves this debut, and I’m looking forward to it. I wish him all the best for his debut and am really happy for him”, Rajkumar Sharma said.

Start of something special

Glimpses of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s first time in the #TeamIndia nets #IREvIND pic.twitter.com/zp3mPMch5R

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 26, 2026

Notably, Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden national call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. His explosive season saw him finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes.

The youngster also swept multiple post-season honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.

In the recent tri-nation in Sri Lanka, featuring SL A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi made 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20, with a strike rate of almost 201, with the best score of 94, his solitary fifty coming in the final. He also smacked the fastest List A cricket fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.

Rajkumar said Sooryavanshi’s rise has inspired many parents to enroll their children in cricket coaching at a very young age, hoping they can achieve similar success. However, he stressed that talents like Sooryavanshi are rare and emerge only once in a generation.

“Yes, definitely, very young kids have started coming, and their parents want to enroll them. For example, someone brought a 5-year-old kid to me, and I said, ‘No, he’s still very young, let him play for now, you play with him, and enroll him in coaching when he turns 8.’ They asked, ‘If we enroll him at 8, how will he become like Vaibhav Suryavanshi?’ So, people’s expectations have certainly risen because a youngster has done so well. But such players are born only once in a generation,” he said.

Now playing exclusively in ODIs, Virat Kohli missed India’s recent ODI series against Afghanistan after suffering a right hamstring injury during the 2026 Indian Premier League final. However, Kohli has returned to India’s ODI setup after being included in the squad for the upcoming series against England, which follows the T20I assignments in Ireland and the five-match T20I series against England.

Speaking of Kohli, his childhood coach said he is hopeful that Kohli will be fit for the series. “Definitely, he had gone to the Centre of Excellence, so whatever report comes from there. I am fully hopeful that he is fit and will be fit for that series.”

Rajkumar expressed confidence that Kohli will continue to play with the same passion and intensity that have defined his career. “Given the intensity with which Virat plays all his matches, I am fully hopeful he will play with even more intensity. That’s what he’s always done; he won’t leave his routine. He always gives a hundred percent on the field, and I am hopeful that he will give more than a 100 per cent”, he said. (ANI)