Former selector Devang Gandhi urged the BCCI to keep a close eye on the development of young batsman Vaibhav Suryavanshi amid his recent impressive performances. Gandhi said his current form may not help the selectors assess his ability to handle strong bowling and added that constant success could lead to bad habits.
Suryavanshi has shown remarkable power and bat speed in age group cricket and the IPL. The Bihar opener recently played a brilliant inning of 190 runs in just 84 balls against Arunachal Pradesh. He completed his century in just 36 balls and missed a double century by a narrow margin in front of a poor bowling attack.
BCCI will have to be active – Devang Gandhi on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
While talking to Times of India, Devang Gandhi expressed concern about Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Gandhi said the youngster’s current performances do not indicate how he will cope with high-quality bowling. He urged BCCI to play a more active role in nurturing young talent.
Gandhi said, “As a selector you will never take these records into account.” “BCCI has to be proactive. It has to create a parallel system for talented players like Suryavanshi coming from these states.”
He said, “For Suryavanshi to develop, he needs to play tough first-class cricket. At the moment, he is playing only white-ball cricket. BCCI needs to find a way where Suryavanshi gets the experience of top-class red-ball cricket.”
This should not happen – Devang Gandhi on Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Devang Gandhi cautioned Vaibhav Suryavanshi against letting him spend too much time at the cricket level, which will not help him. Gandhi said Suryavanshi needed regular challenges to continue improving. He said facing tough competition and being forced to adapt is the best way for him to grow.
Gandhi concluded, “It should not be that the hours he is spending in domestic cricket are becoming meaningless. At his age, bad habits in the game can easily develop if he is exposed to poor quality cricket for a long time.”
Suryavanshi will continue to represent Bihar in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He is likely to be the first choice opening batsman for Rajasthan Royals (RR). The southpaw will be keen to use his home tour to prepare himself for the challenges at the senior level, as he looks to adapt his game to higher quality competition.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi shines in domestic cricket and IPL debut season
Recently in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 197 runs in six matches at an average of 39.40 and strike rate of 168.37. In the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025, he scored 261 runs in five matches at an average of 52.20 and a strike rate of 182.51, which included one century and one half-century.
Suryavanshi made a strong statement in his first IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. He scored 252 runs in seven matches at an average of 36 and an explosive strike rate of 206.55, which included one century and one half-century.
The left-handed batsman scored 101 runs in just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT), which included seven fours and 11 sixes, at a strike rate of 265.78. Rajasthan Royals achieved the target of 210 runs in 15.5 overs. He also faced international level bowlers like Rashid Khan and Ishant Sharma.
Also read: World Record! Bihar scores highest ever List A score in Vijay Hazare Trophy as Sakibul Ghani records fastest 100
