As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sent the Rangiri International Stadium into raptures with another audacious innings, Sidath Wettimuny watched on from the president’s box in admiration.

The former Sri Lanka captain has seen more than a few batting prodigies over the decades, but what unfolded on Sunday convinced him of one thing: the game needs a player like Sooryavanshi in its longest and most demanding format — Test cricket.

For Wettimuny, the 15-year-old is more than just a rare talent. He is the sort of cricketer who can draw spectators to the ground, generate curiosity around the format and give Test cricket a fresh audience.

“It’s difficult to say how you handle him, because nobody has seen a talent like this earlier. But yes, he will have to be nurtured. I would love to see him playing Test cricket because he will bring in so much attraction to the game,” Wettimuny told  Sportstar.

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The 15-year-old’s explosive innings in the Tri-Nation series final has already reignited conversations about how India should manage one of its brightest young prospects. While Sooryavanshi has earned call-ups to India’s T20I squads for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games, a Test berth still appears some distance away.

For Wettimuny, however, the longest format could benefit immensely from a cricketer capable of drawing crowds wherever he plays. “If he’s in your Test team, just imagine people will come to watch to see whether he’ll get a blistering 100 or not,” Wettimuny said.

“But I agree that he will have to be nurtured and it’s too early to say where he will end up because 50-over and Test cricket are totally different…”

Wettimuny, Sri Lanka’s first Test centurion, believes exposure to red-ball cricket would also help Sooryavanshi evolve as a batter.

“He will also learn that the mindset change is vital when it comes to five-day cricket. And we can only hope that he will continue with more restraint, of course, in the Test matches, learn to play the longest format as well, because at the end of the day, he will bring in spectators,” he said.

“It will be up to the BCCI to nurture him, but he is an absolutely exciting prospect for cricket – not just India, but globally…”

Published on Jun 21, 2026