Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has advised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to enjoy himself ahead of his likely India debut. Sooryavanshi is in line to make his T20I debut for India against Ireland after impressing one and all in IPL 2026.

Sooryavanshi, 15, earned his maiden India T20I call-up after scoring 776 runs in 16 matches of IPL 2026 at a blistering strike rate of 237.30 and an average of 48.50 for Rajasthan Royals.

The youngster continued his rich form, scoring 94 runs off just 29 balls in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka A at Dambulla on Sunday after he could not convert his starts into substantial scores in the group stage.

“He’s a 15-year-old kid, who I personally believe should have fun playing the game, just like you would in the gullies from his hometown,” Ashwin told BBC. 

“He’s not going to have a long road ahead of him where he’s going to play without pressure. It will eventually catch up, because it will turn into work, but as of now, I would love for him to have fun and entertain all of us,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin praised Sooryavanshi for making subtle adjustments in his game while facing some of the best bowlers in the world in the IPL.

“I think he’s special. When you watch someone special, you know it straight away,” Ashwin added. “What stood out with Vaibhav was not just the way he’s batted, but it’s also how he’s been able to make subtle adjustments with respect to some senior bowlers coming after him,” Ashwin concluded.

India will play the first T20I against Ireland at Belfast on Friday.