Srinagar: Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri has hailed 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, suggesting the youngster could be fast-tracked into the senior national setup if he continues his rapid rise through the ranks.

Suryavanshi’s latest heroics came in the fourth Youth ODI against England Under-19s, where he smashed a blistering 143 off just 78 balls to power India to a massive 363 for 9.

“He will play First-Class cricket, but that’s what the IPL does. It gives you that platform. The whole country sees you. And you catch the imagination of everyone,” said Shastri during commentary on the ongoing Test between England and India at Edgbaston when former England captain Michael Atherton asked about Vaibhav Suryavanshi. “It will fast-track him if he goes and plays First-Class cricket, goes and gets a couple of hundreds in his first couple of seasons.”

 “He has already caught the eyes; already made it to the Under-19 team at the age of 14. Smacking it everywhere. And it’s tours like this to England, with this exposure. He can only improve,” Shastri added.

This isn’t the first time Suryavanshi has broken records. He previously scored the second-fastest hundred in a Youth Test — a 58-ball ton against Australia U19 in Chennai last year, placing him just behind Moeen Ali’s 56-ball century from 2005.

India U19 currently lead the five-match series 2-1, with Suryavanshi’s exploits putting them firmly in command. With each innings, the young star is not only making a strong case for early inclusion in the senior domestic circuit, but now has backing from one of Indian cricket’s most influential voices.