Former India cricketer MSK Prasad has backed young batter Vaibhav Suryavanshi for a place in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming Ireland series. According to Prasad, the youngster has done enough to earn an opportunity at the international level.
India are scheduled to play two T20Is against Ireland in June. Prasad believes the series provides an ideal platform to introduce Suryavanshi to senior international cricket and assess his potential at the highest level.
Suryavanshi emerged as one of the biggest stars of IPL 2026 following a remarkable season with Rajasthan Royals. His performances throughout the tournament earned widespread attention from fans, experts, and former players.
The young batter finished the season with several major individual honours. He won the Orange Cap for scoring the most runs, claimed the Most Valuable Player award, secured the Emerging Player of the Season award, received the Super Striker of the Season award, and also ended the tournament as the leading six-hitter.
In IPL 2026, Suryavanshi scored 776 runs in 16 matches at an impressive strike rate of 237.31. His campaign included one century and five half-centuries, highlighting both his consistency and ability to score quickly.
What impressed many observers was his success against top-quality bowling attacks. Throughout the tournament, Suryavanshi played aggressively against several leading international bowlers, including Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, and consistently delivered impactful performances.
MSK Prasad stated that Suryavanshi should no longer be viewed only as a promising youngster. In his opinion, the batter has already established himself as one of the most effective T20 players based on his recent performances and current form.
Prasad also pointed out that Suryavanshi has already been selected for the India A squad participating in the tri-series in Sri Lanka alongside Afghanistan A. He believes there is little reason to delay the batter’s progression if he continues to perform well.
According to the former selector, performances in the IPL against established international bowlers can be a strong indicator of readiness for senior international cricket. He suggested that the selectors may already be considering a pathway for the youngster’s inclusion in the national team.
Suryavanshi is also part of the probables list for the 2026 Asian Games. Prasad feels that introducing him through T20 internationals would be the ideal approach before gradually preparing him for longer formats with proper workload management.
With an outstanding IPL 2026 season behind him and growing support from cricket experts, Vaibhav Suryavanshi has emerged as a strong contender for selection in the upcoming Ireland T20I series.
