Sooryavanshi has long way to travel before Test team selection: Childhood coach Ojha

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's rise in white-ball cricket has been extraordinary. He made his senior India debut in T20I cricket against England in July 2026 at the age of just 15. His aggressive batting style earned him rapid selection to the national team at an age when most cricketers are still developing their skills in domestic youth competitions.

However, the transition to Test cricket presents a fundamentally different challenge. Manish Ojha, a former Ranji Trophy player and professional coach who began training Sooryavanshi at age nine in Patna, has outlined the significant gap between white-ball success and red-ball readiness. Ojha's assessment focuses on the mental and technical adjustments required for the teenager to compete at the highest level of Test cricket.

"When it comes to T20s, he got an opportunity to play a lot of white-ball matches. In white-ball cricket, because he was able to score quickly, he was able to get into the Indian team quickly, but when it comes to making it to India’s Test team there is plenty to travel for Sooryavanshi," Ojha said in an interview with The Indian Express.

The white-ball success and red-ball challenge

Sooryavanshi's early cricket education was built on red-ball foundations. Ojha explained that the teenager's practice regimen from the start emphasised the longer format, with white-ball cricket introduced later. This background suggests adaptability is possible, but the pace of adjustment remains uncertain. The coach stressed that understanding the differences between formats is essential for Sooryavanshi's development.

"From the time he started, much of his practice has happened against the red-ball. The white-ball came up much later. So I don’t see him not adapting to play red-ball cricket. But how quickly he adapts is the key. White-ball cricket is different," Ojha said.

The mental shift required for Test cricket forms the core of Ojha's assessment. In T20 cricket, Sooryavanshi has thrived by attacking most deliveries, but Test cricket demands patience, selectivity and the ability to construct innings over multiple sessions. Ojha outlined the specific approach the teenager must develop to succeed at the highest level of red-ball cricket.

"The biggest adjustment he has to make will be on the mental side. In white-ball cricket, he is hitting every ball. You can’t have a similar approach against the new ball. You have to wait for the right deliveries and minimise the risk," Ojha said.

"He has to learn to ride the wave, bat in different gears and learn the art of constructing an innings. Show the world, you can play 300 deliveries. This is the exposure he needs to gain from red ball cricket before we think of his next step," he added.

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Domestic cricket opportunities in India's red-ball structure are limited compared to the volume of white-ball matches. Ojha emphasised that Sooryavanshi's path to the Test team will require sustained performance over multiple seasons in competitions like the Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy. The coach stressed that consistency and patience are essential for a teenager navigating this demanding transition.

"He is only 15, so he needs time to develop. Making the India Test team won’t be easy. Nowadays you play a lot of T20s, but in Duleep and Ranji he might get only 7-10 matches a season. And in those matches, you have to consistently score centuries and double centuries to be in the reckoning," Ojha said.

"And it has to happen for two-three years consistently. It will be up and down. He needs patience and even the rest of the world," he added.