India, May 31 -- With every knock he played in IPL 2026, the clamour around his potential India debut grew louder and louder. It reached a fever pitch earlier this week when he carved out two mature knocks in the 90s in the playoffs under contrasting conditions, showing that he is much more than sheer strike rate and sixes.

Throughout the season, discussions around the 15-year-old ranged from comparisons with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to why the BCCI should not delay his India T20I debut, before later peaking on whether he could eventually become an all-format player.

Speaking at the Cricinfo Honours in Mumbai on Saturday, where he was named the best men's international batter of the 21st century, and in the presence of BCCI chief ...