Indian cricket fans are already dreaming big after watching the rise of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but the reality of his T20 World Cup 2026 future is far more complex at the moment. After his incredible performance in the final against England, everyone is wondering whether Vaibhav Suryavanshi can be included in the Indian cricket team soon.
Fans are demanding to invite Vaibhav Suryavanshi to India after his heroics in ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026
His performance in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026 final against England at Harare Sports Club surprised everyone. The left-handed batsman scored 175 runs in just 80 balls, which included 15 skyscraper sixes. At the age of just 14, Vaibhav not only won the match; He rewrote the records.
Also read: BCCI announces prize money for India’s U-19 World Cup champions – almost a third less than Virat Kohli’s IPL salary
He has now established himself as a once-in-a-generation talent. Given this, fans naturally started asking why a man who can dominate youth cricket across all formats and has already scored a century in the IPL is not being considered for the senior Indian team.
ICC’s age rule has banned entry into Team India
However, the biggest hurdle in the path of glory for Team India is the ICC’s minimum age policy. This rule was brought back in 2020 to keep young players physically and mentally safe. According to ICC rules, a cricketer must be at least 15 years of age to play international cricket.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was born on 27 March 2011. Even after his historic Under-19 World Cup campaign this month, he is still officially 14 years old. It doesn’t matter how many quick centuries he scores for Bihar in domestic cricket or how many bowlers he attacks while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, India’s senior selectors cannot pick him before his 15th birthday.
This means that the earliest Vaibhav’s name can be considered for a senior India player is after March 27, 2026. Till then, the door to the national team will remain firmly closed, eliminating all chances of being included in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Under-19’s journey ends, waiting game begins for Vaibhav
Adding another twist to his journey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s time with the India Under-19 team has already come to an end. The BCCI follows a strict tournament schedule for the Under-19 World Cup. This policy is designed to protect players from staying in age-group cricket for too long and to make room for new talent.
Since Vaibhav has already played in the 2026 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Zimbabwe, he will not be allowed to participate in the 2028 or 2030 editions of the tournament, even though he will still be under 19 during both tournaments.
Also read: Will Vaibhav Suryavanshi replace Rohit Sharma for the 2027 World Cup? India makes great demands
Meanwhile, England’s Ben Mayes finished as the leading run scorer at the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026, while Vaibhav finished second on the list. He scored 439 runs in 7 innings for India Under-19.
Highest run scorer in ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026:
Ben Mayes (England) – 444 runs in 7 innings
Vaibhav Suryavanshi (India) – 439 runs in 7 innings
Faisal Shinozada (Afghanistan) – 435 runs in 6 innings
Thomas Reeve (England) – 330 runs in 7 innings
Veeran Chamuditha (Sri Lanka) – 310 runs in 5 innings
