Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is firmly knocking on the door of the senior India team after a sensational IPL 2026 campaign, and it appears that he may just get the call-up. According to a report by Cricbuzz, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee is seriously considering fast-tracking Sooryavanshi into the senior T20I set-up and hand him a first cap, possibly for the upcoming series against Ireland and England. The selectors are also reportedly looking at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s title-winning captain Rajat Patidar as a direct replacement for Suryakumar Yadav in the side.
Sooryavanshi amassed 776 runs in 16 games in IPL 2026 at a strike-rate of 237, in what goes down as one of the best individual seasons in IPL history. The 15-year-old won the Orange Cap (most runs) and the ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) award.
His sensational form in the IPL is set to make it very hard for the selectors to ignore him, even though India already boast a star-studded T20I squad.
Sooryavanshi could get his shot in the two-match T20I series against Ireland, starting June 26, which precedes the five-match T20I series against England in July.
Patidar, on the other hand, could be in line for an entry into the Indian middle-order. The 33-year-old has enjoyed four great IPL seasons in succession, with the best coming in the recently-concluded IPL 2026, where he smashed 501 runs at a strike-rate of nearly 193. He has led RCB to the IPL title in the last two seasons.
With Suryakumar Yadav reportedly set to be axed from not only captaincy but also from the squad, Patidar could be a like-for-like replacement at No. 4, or even at option at No. 5. An excellent hitter of spin, Patidar’s acceleration was arguably the best of any middle-order batter throughout the IPL 2026 season.