Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo)

Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo)

In his first six T20Is of 2026, he has scored 193 runs at an average of 32.17 and a strike rate of 189.22. He has found the boundary once every 3.4 deliveries and hit a six every 7.2 balls.

I am saying this right now”, Kaif said on his YouTube channel. Mohammad Kaif believes India could face a major selection headache in the T20I format within the next six months, with the former batter predicting that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will force his way into the first-choice side. Kaif feels the teenage sensation’s emergence could eventually leave either Tilak Varma or Shivam Dube fighting for a place in the playing XI, despite Tilak currently being India’s vice-captain. “I understand that Tilak is the vice-captain. But vice-captains have also been dropped before. I do not want to go there. Shivam Dube is not scoring in every game and still has to prove himself. Fielding is also his weakness, and he is not a proper bowling all-rounder. He is only playing as a batter. After six months, either Tilak or Dube will be out. You will have to remove one, and Sooryavanshi will play. Kaif pointed to Sooryavanshi’s performances beyond T20Is as another reason for his prediction. The teenager also made an impact in the Duleep Trophy and even bowled during the tournament, adding another dimension to his game. “Sooryavanshi scored in the Duleep Trophy as well. He has improved his game. He was even bowling there. So he has understood that if he can bowl a few overs, he will have an advantage,” he added. The numbers behind Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise are difficult to overlook.

The all-rounder has scored 415 T20I runs in 2026 at an average of 31.92 and a strike rate of 170.78. At the T20 World Cup, he scored 235 runs at a strike rate of 169.06, giving India substantial returns from a player primarily selected for his power-hitting. Rather than being viewed solely as a young player being gradually introduced to international cricket, Sooryavanshi is increasingly making a case for a regular place in India’s T20I setup.

Those numbers have already shifted the conversation around the teenager.