‘Don’t count Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s age’: Shikhar Dhawan’s bold India debut statement

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has thrown his weight behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, insisting that performances at the highest level should matter more than age.

Dhawan was full of praise for the youngster’s fearless approach, especially against top-quality bowlers, highlighting how rare such confidence is at such an early stage.

"If Vaibhav is doing brilliantly at the senior level then that has to be counted and not his age. Yes he is a kid but its astonishing the way he hits Bumrah and Arshdeep for such huge sixes,” Dhawan said in an interview to PTI.

"A lot of big guns haven't done what he has at such small age. Obviously his time will come. It's bound to come."

Sooryavanshi has backed that praise with numbers in IPL 2026. He has scored 400 runs at a staggering strike rate of 238.10, placing him among the leading run-getters while also smashing 37 sixes, the most by any batter so far.

Dhawan, however, acknowledged that breaking into a settled Indian top order remains a challenge. With India recently winning the 2026 T20 World Cup and players like Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma performing well, opportunities may not come easily.

"Look if top order is doing well you can't readily replace them. When me Rohit and Virat were playing, we nearly played for a decade and it wasn't easy to replace us.

" It is up to the individual how they take it. It can pinch you a bit but one shouldn't be disheartened if the chance doesnt come along readily. Vaibhav has so much blessings at this young age."

He also spoke about how T20 batting has evolved over the years, with a clear shift towards aggressive intent, while still emphasising the importance of technique.

"When we started our coaches said that hit along the ground and now it is opposite. Like Vaibhav has good defense as I have watched him defend close to his body."

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On adapting across formats, Dhawan stressed that mindset plays a crucial role, especially for a generation that has grown up playing T20 cricket.

"Technique needs to be good but switching formats needs a shift in mindset knowing when you need to increase or decrease pace. That comes with match practice. Today's generation is building their game based on T20 so there will be challenges for them."