Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has backed 15-year-old Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi for an immediate India Test call-up amid IPL 2026. Finch said that Suryavanshi can make a strong impact at number five and compared his fearless batting style to that of Rishabh Pant in international cricket.
Suryavanshi scored just 4 runs from 2 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Jaipur on Friday, May 1. However, he is fourth in the Orange Cap standings. The left-handed batsman has scored 404 runs at an average of 10 innings. 40.40 and strike rate 237.65, which includes two half-centuries and one century.
| Vaibhav Suryavanshi – RR vs DC Performance | |||
| 4(2), SR: 200.00 | 4(2), SR: 200.00 | ||
| key moment | |||
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Above |
batter | bowler | dismissal |
| 1.5 | Vaibhav Suryavanshi | kyle jamison | bowled (inswinging yorker) |
There is room in Test cricket for influential players – Aaron Finch supports Vaibhav Suryavanshi
Aaron Finch said modern Test cricket needs fearless players who can disrupt bowling plans. He said aggressive and unpredictable batsmen can create pressure and force bowlers to change their approach during the match.
“There is room for such impactful players in Test cricket. You think about Rishabh Pant and the difference he has, he is a player who can strike real fear into the opposition because he is unpredictable,” Finch told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Finch also said that Suryavanshi could be dangerous in the longer formats, especially against the older ball. He told that the young batsman has already shown his ability against the new ball in T20 cricket.
“We have seen what Vaibhav can do against the new ball in T20. If he bats at number five against the old 50-over ball in Test cricket, what can he do there?” He added.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi is more mature than his age – Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi for his maturity and confidence at a young age. Finch said the teenager shows no fear against top bowlers and can read match situations well, which is rare for a 15-year-old player at this level.
Finch said, “The thing that amazes me is his ability to hit the ball right from the first ball. Even against the best bowlers in the world, he gets out; he has no fear, but he also has the ability to read game situations. At the age of 15, that is an incredible skill. He is mature beyond his years.”
I don’t know what you were doing at 15 – Aaron Finch
Finch also highlighted the level of skill shown by Vaibhav Suryavanshi against elite bowlers. He pointed out that it is unusual for such a young person to dominate experienced international players with such confidence and control.
“I don’t know what you were doing at 15, but I certainly wasn’t thinking about bowling Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins around the park, such is the extraordinary level of skill they have,” he said.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored two half-centuries in just 15 balls against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively. He also scored a century against Sunrisers Hyderabad by scoring 103 runs in 37 balls. The left-handed batsman scored 78 runs in 26 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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