Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is in favour of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing Test cricket for the country. The 15-year-old, who represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2026, scored 776 runs in 16 matches and won the Orange Cap. Ashwin was recently  honoured by Cricinfo for being a part of the 25 ‘Greatest Men’s International Cricketers of the 21st Century’

During the award ceremony, the veteran cricketer opined on Sooryavanshi’s chances of playing Test cricket.

“I think he should play Test cricket. If you are taking the larger good of the game into consideration, he should play the longest format of the game.  Can you teach your children what they are willing to learn? You can’t. The ecosystem is driving these things, and sometimes you need to follow what the game is telling you,” Ashwin said.

“You can’t force a player to play a particular format. Test cricket is the pinnacle. I have been coaching for a long time, and I don’t see young cricketers turning up wanting to play red-ball cricket.

They defend a few balls and then go for shots,” he added.

Ashwin was ranked 25th on the list of the greatest men’s international cricketers. He took 765 wickets across formats for India in international cricket, the second most of the country after Anil Kumble, who picked up 953 scalps. His 537 wickets in Test cricket are also the second highest by an Indian bowler, with Kumble (619) leading the list.

Ashwin is the only player in the longest format of the game to score six hundreds and take 500 wickets.

He is only behind England great Ian Botham (5) in the list of scoring a Test hundred and taking a five-for in the same Test, having recorded the feat four times.