Will Vaibhav Suryavanshi & Ayush Mhatre Play Alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli in 2026?

The India U-19 team went on an England tour during the mid-week of June, where two players were the standout performers in the series. The prodigious power-hitter Vaibhav Suryavanshi and the captain and red-ball specialist Ayush Mhatre. If we take a closer look at both players, their personalities are quite different.

While Suryavanshi believes in striking the ball from the very first ball, Mhatre is a bit calmer. His grounded and cricket book shots are quite eye-pleasing, making the audience jump to their feet. As the series recently concluded, the hype around both players is quite high. Both the players are already seen as the future of Indian cricket.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi Performance on England Tour

Vaibhav Suryavanshi ruled the white-ball series, scoring 355 runs in five innings at an average of 71. The left-handed opener played with an excellent strike rate of 174, which was easily the highest of the series. In the fourth match of the Men’s Youth ODI, the 14-year-old batter smashed the fastest hundred, scoring 143 off 78 balls, including 13 boundaries and ten sixes.

Suryavanshi scored a century in just 52 balls, creating history in Youth ODIs. Some of his other significant contributions came in the first ODI, where he scored 48 off 19 balls, helping India seal the game by six wickets. While India lost the second match, he scored 45 runs off 34 balls. Suryavanshi has been incredible in white-ball cricket, but is yet to establish himself in red-ball cricket.

Despite that, he managed to score 56 off 44 balls in the second Test at Bechenham. Moreover, we all have seen him bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as well. He opened his account with a six on the very first ball of his IPL career, while playing for Rajasthan Royals.

Ayush Mhatre Performance on England Tour

Ayush Mhatre’s story is quite different. The CSK opener was chosen captain of the team for the England tour. He had a hard time in the ODI series, failing to score runs when his partner Suryavanshi was scoring freely. In four matches, his scores were 21, 0, 5, 1. He struggled with the new ball as he was opening the innings. But the tables turned when the red-ball cricket arrived.

Mhatre scored two back-to-back centuries in two matches. In the first match, he scored 102 and 32, and in the second, he scored 80 and 126. His century in the second match while chasing 355 runs was truly a captain’s knock. While batting under pressure, he didn't lose his calm and kept going.

However, rain interrupted play and the match was eventually washed out. This innings spoke a lot about his temperament at such a young age. But now the main question that arises is whether Suryavanshi and Mhatre’s knock will earn them a place in the senior team for the upcoming white-ball series in England or not.

Will Vaibhav Suryavanshi & Ayush Mhatre be in India Squad for England Tour 2026?

Notably, India will tour England in 2026. The India Tour of England 2026 schedule is already out. The selectors will be quite pleased with the efforts put in by these two young talents. When it comes to ODIs and T20Is, Vaibhav Suryavanshi seems like a perfect fit for the team. He has played exceptionally well, has the right attitude as an opener, and knows how to back his strength.

Moreover, exposure to the senior team will only enhance his skills and experience. However, this looks like a distant dream for the 14-year-old opener as the Indian team is filled with talented batters at the top. Suryavanshi will also play an Under-19 World Cup before that tour, which can define his career.

Moreover, in Mhatre’s case, his performance in white-ball cricket wasn't great. So his chances are quite less for the England tour in 2026. But if he continues with his terrific performance in the upcoming domestic season, there are high chances of him getting into the Test squad. Similarly like Suryavanshi, Mhatre is also likely to feature in the Under-19 World Cup next year. Both the youngsters now stand a chance to play alongside Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli next year.