Amid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India call-up rumours, BCCI advised not to hand out India caps 'so freely'

After each passing game in IPL 2026, calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India debut are growing louder supported with strong performances from the young opener in the tournament. According to a recent report, the Rajasthan Royals' (RR) young prodigy could be named in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland.

Ravchandran Ashwin gives big advise to BCCI

If the report turns out to be true, then Sooryavanshi will become the youngest male cricketer to make debut in the international circuit. Although former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin offers a different perspective on the matter, saying that the BCCI should not give India caps "so freely".

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On his official YouTube Channel, Ashwin said that wearing an India cap should mean something as it is associated with earning that stature.

"Wearing India cap should be a moment of pride. It’s not about making a great debut or playing against a great team – earning that cap should mean something. There must be value attached to it," said Ashwin.

Adding further, Ashwin said that if the BCCI wants to give exposure to young talents like Vaibhav then they must provide it through sending them to "A' tours.

"If you want to give players exposure, that’s fine – send them on India A tours (instead). You can’t just distribute India caps. If needed, start live telecasts of A tours – people will watch and enjoy them. But you shouldn’t be handing out India caps so freely – it has to carry value," Ashwin added.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's strong show in IPL 2026

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kicked off the tournament with his fiery 15 ball 52 against Chennai Super Kings in their season opener, followed with two impactful knocks of 31 and 39 against Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians respectively, before his stunning 78 off 26 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old batter failed to create an impact against Sunrisers Hyderabad, as he got dismissed on a duck.

So far in five outings, Sooryavanshi has managed to score 246 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 263.15 with the help of 24 four and 20 sixes.

Rajasthan Royals' next game in IPL 2026

The Riyan Parag-led side will lock horns with Rishabh Pant's Lucknow Super Giants in their upcoming IPL 2026 clash on Wednesday, April 22 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

RR will aim to make a strong comeback after two back-to-back games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively. Currently they sit at fourth in the standings with eight points in hand at a net run rate of +0.599.