‘If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi wants respect…’: Sanjay Manjrekar says T20 hype won’t shield him from Test cricket reality

Sooryavanshi, now 15, took world cricket by storm last year with a historic century in his debut IPL season, before backing it up with notable performances in domestic cricket and at the under-19 level, including a record 175 in the U-19 World Cup final earlier this year. In IPL 2026, he went a notch higher, smashing 404 runs in 10 matches at a staggering strike rate of 237.64.

Those performances sparked speculation that the Board of Control for Cricket in India could fast-track him into the national side after the IPL, and Manjrekar agreed.

ALSO READ: ‘Why didn’t you get Arjun Tendulkar?’ Pant’s tactical miss fuels narrative he’s still short of Dhoni, Rohit standards

“Looking at IPL as a platform to stake a claim for the Indian T20 team, and keeping an eye on his performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well, where he has a hundred [vs Maharashtra], I think he’s done enough. If someone is lighting up this stage like this, then he’s ready,” he said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.

However, he admitted that with India already having a long queue of openers, including Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sooryavanshi’s inclusion may not be straightforward.

“He might be ready, but are the others ready to make way? Because there is a huge crowd for the opening slots in India,” he added.

‘If Sooryavanshi wants respect…’

Manjrekar noted that Sooryavanshi belongs to a new wave of cricketers who thrive on an aggressive, boundary-hitting approach suited to T20 cricket, often creating room to free their arms. However, he believes that method may not hold up in Test cricket.

“Take consistent T20 batters in recent years, Sooryavanshi stays leg side and hits a ball on middle stump through point because he creates that room. In Test cricket, the advice is to get close to the ball. You won’t get runs in England, Australia or South Africa by staying away from it,” he explained.

Manjrekar concluded that while T20 cricket can bring fame and financial success, true respect still lies in Test cricket, and that will require technical adjustments.

“If you want your kid to be famous and rich, T20 batting is for you. If you want him to earn respect from people like us, the critics, then he has to get close to the line of the ball,” he said.

Click here to read article