Tag: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn predicted that teenage India sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would surpass batting icons Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.

Speaking during the South Africa 20 (SA20) media interaction, Steyn made a bold prediction, saying that Sooryavanshi could eclipse the achievements of both Tendulkar and Kohli by the end of his career.

“You think of guys like Sachin, Virat, and this kid is going to explode. He’s going to be bigger than both of them put together at the end of his career,” Steyn said.

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He praised the 15-year-old batter, describing the left-hander as a generational talent for India.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a different gravy. He’s better than most international players right now. He’s a genuine boy wonder and a treasure for Indian cricket,” he added.

However, Steyn cautioned that the youngster would need to be managed carefully to ensure his long-term development.

“So I’d be very careful about how he’s managed and looked after. With great responsibility comes great reward, but there’s also a risk that you could lose him along the way if he isn’t handled properly,” he said.

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The 42-year-old also admitted that South Africa currently has no teenage prospect capable of matching Sooryavanshi’s talent.

“As for South Africa, no, we don’t have a 14- or 15-year-old who can rival him right now. But we do have some exceptional talent, including a lot of players in their twenties who will push through and represent South Africa in the years ahead,” he concluded.

For those unaware, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi rose to prominence during IPL 2025, where he smashed the second-fastest IPL century. His batting at higher strike rates got praise from global cricketing icons.

Earlier this year, he also helped India lift the U19 World Cup, smashing his way to 175 off just 80 balls against England in the final.

He carried his batting brilliance in the IPL 2026, finishing the tournament with 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30 for the Rajasthan Royals.

Apart from securing the Orange Cap, he also collected the Best Emerging Player award, becoming the first cricketer in IPL history to win both the MVP and Emerging Player honors in the same season.

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MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has allowed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to have his parents accompany him on away tours. 

A day earlier, Sooryavanshi was named in India’s T20 squad for the tours of Ireland and England, as well as the Asian Games, after making remarkable performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The southpaw is currently in Sri Lanka with the India A squad for a tri-nation series.

“His father will be flying down to Sri Lanka today,” said Devajit Saikia, secretary of the BCCI.

“Also, if his parents want to go to England and Ireland with him, then we will make arrangements for their travel. They would be his best support system,” he added.

For the unversed, India, the T20 World Cup 2026 winnersa are set to play Ireland and England at the end of this month.

For the unversed, India, the T20 World Cup 2026 winners, are set to play Ireland and England later this month.

Following these tours, they are scheduled to take part in the Asian Games to be held in Japan in September and October.

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Sooryavanshi could become India’s youngest international debutant at the age of 15. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record, having made his debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days in 1989.

The teenage prodigy selection comes after a stellar IPL campaign for Rajasthan Royals, where he finished as the highest-run getter with 776 runs to his name at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. He hit one century and five fifties in his record-breaking campaign.

For his outstanding performances, Sooryavanshi won the Orange Cap, the IPL’s most valuable player and the emerging player prizes.

During the squad announcement, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar noted that Sooryavanshi formed them to pick him in the squad.

“With his performances, he has almost forced us to pick him,” Ajit Agarkar said.

“Like everyone else that has watched T20 cricket in India, we have got high hopes of him. I think he just has picked himself,” he explained.

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AHMEDABAD: Teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi capped off a sensational Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign by sweeping the tournament’s major individual honours, including the coveted Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Although Rajasthan Royals fell short of reaching the final after suffering defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2, the 15-year-old emerged as the undisputed star of the season with a series of record-breaking performances.

Sooryavanshi completed the tournament with 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike-rate of 237.30, securing the Orange Cap as the leading run-scorer of IPL 2026.

He also collected the Best Emerging Player award, becoming the first cricketer in IPL history to win both the MVP and Emerging Player honours in the same season.

The teenage sensation narrowly missed guiding Rajasthan Royals into the final despite producing a blistering 96-run knock off just 47 deliveries in Qualifier 2.

However, the Gujarat Titans edged past the Royals to book their place in the title clash, where they were eventually defeated by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Sooryavanshi’s extraordinary season saw him rewrite several IPL records. His tally of 72 sixes established a new benchmark for the most sixes in a single IPL edition, surpassing the previous record of 59 set by Chris Gayle.

He also became the first batter since Gayle in 2011 to finish an IPL season with both the highest run aggregate and best strike-rate.

Reflecting on his remarkable campaign, Sooryavanshi admitted that the attention surrounding his success has brought a new challenge.

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“It feels nice, but there is pressure because I am doing interviews. It is a proud moment, and I will try and do well next season too,” he said after receiving his awards.

The youngster credited his fearless approach and ability to adapt to different match situations as key factors behind his success.

“I try to back my game, and if the ball is there to be hit, I go all out for it and just try to play that way.

“How to play the pressure game, how to change myself every game, you can’t play every game in one mode, you need to read the game situation and play according to the team’s requirements. These are my learnings from this season.”

He also highlighted fitness as an area of focus moving forward.

“If I have to play long, I have to stay clear of injuries and work on my fitness and have to focus more,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada claimed the Purple Cap after finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 29 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 9.68.

It marked the second time Rabada won the award, having previously achieved the feat with the Delhi Capitals in 2020.

On the batting charts, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill finished second behind Sooryavanshi with 732 runs, while opening partner B Sai Sudharsan occupied third place with 722 runs.

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Teenage star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the cricket world in a stunning IPL season for Rajasthan Royals, and the head coach, Kumar Sangakkara, says the 15-year-old is ready to represent India.

Sooryavanshi’s 96 runs on Friday in the last playoff went in vain, as Rajasthan lost to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets to bow out of the T20 tournament.

But the season belonged to the left-handed Sooryavanshi, who leads the batting chart with 776 runs at an average of 48.50, with a punishing strike-rate of 237.30 in 16 matches.

He missed out on a century for the second straight time, but once again impressed with his 47-ball knock, laced with eight fours and seven sixes, in New Chandigarh.

“With everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him,” Sangakkara said.

“I’m sure that he’ll get that (India) call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity; he has shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season.”

The teenage sensation held the innings together after Rajasthan lost two quick wickets and reached his fifty in 31 balls, his slowest in the IPL.

Sooryavanshi changed gears, smashing a six off Jason Holder down the ground. He fell to Kagiso Rabada after a mis-hit to deep third man, a dismissal similar to his previous when he struck a 29-ball 97 in the eliminator on Wednesday.

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“I think we are very, very proud of the season that he’s had,” said Sangakkara. “And we just want to make sure that he keeps going, keeps that intent, keeps that no-fear attitude and keeps growing. I think he’s going to be even better as the years go by.”

For the unversed, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi joined Rajasthan when he was 13, scoring a 35-ball century in his debut year in 2025 at age 14.

“I think we’ve got a good plan around him. We don’t cut his mind too much,” said former Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara.

“He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens. And he does a lot of homework. So we don’t want to put any unnecessary thoughts into his head. I think a clear mind, batting with that courage is exactly what we want to see of him.”

Sooryavanshi won praise from the opposition camp with Gujarat’s director of cricket, Vikram Solanki, saying the boy wonder is already among the T20 elite.

“I’ve not seen anyone bat like the way he bats, and I think in this format, probably he’s right now one of the best batters in the world,” said the former England batter.

“And it’s remarkable to see his biomechanics and his hand speed, and no matter what opposition he plays against… in the years to come, the opposition that he plays against is going to have a tough time against him.”

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s latest extraordinary innings was hailed by cricket greats on Thursday, as calls grow for the 15-year-old phenomenon to be propelled straight into the senior India team.

The teenage opener hit 12 sixes, including three in a row off Australia captain Pat Cummins, before he was out for 97 off 29 balls for Rajasthan Royals in Wednesday’s playoff win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Yeah, he played pretty well,” said a shell-shocked Cummins, who was launched into the stands four times in all by the left-hander.

“The margins are so small. You miss your yorker by a little bit and he doesn’t tend to miss them. So, yeah, fair play.”

Sooryavanshi hit seven boundaries in a row to reach 97 off 28 balls.

But he was caught in the deep attempting another that would have broken Chris Gayle’s record of 30 balls for the fastest IPL century.

On the way he smashed the West Indian’s 12-year-old record of 59 sixes in a single edition of the IPL.

He has cleared the ropes 65 times and is in possession of the Orange Cap for the most runs in the IPL season, with 680 at an average of 45.33.

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Past master Gayle called Sooryavanshi the IPL’s “new six machine”.

“What a phenomenal player Vaibhav is. Great entertainment young man!” he posted on social media.

Sooryavanshi was crestfallen when he was out.

But he has a chance for more fireworks against Gujarat Titans in the final playoff match on Friday. The holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru await the winners in Sunday’s final.

Calls for Sooryavanshi to be fast-tracked into India’s team have accelerated since he slammed a 17-ball 52 to start his IPL season.

“He is the best T20 opener in the World… India have to pick him,” former England captain Michael Vaughan said on X on Wednesday.

India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar lauded Sooryavanshi’s technique calling the innings “simply spectacular”.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bat swing has been exceptional,” he posted.

“What stands out even more is the way he effortlessly clears his front foot to make room for deliveries targeting his pads.

This gives him the freedom to play his natural game.”

Comparison with Tendulkar, who made his full international debut aged 16, have been inevitable.

But former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik warned against heaping expectation on young shoulders.

“What Vaibhav is doing is very special, but what I don’t want the people to do is tag him as the next Sachin because he is just 15 years old,” Karthik said on the Quest Talk podcats.

“I think what Sachin did was extraordinary. Vaibhav’s challenges will be completely different.”

Rajasthan captain Riyan Parag said he didn’t need to offer much advice to the fearless youngster.

“That’s the thing we don’t have any conversations,” Parag said.

“He likes batting. Just leave him alone, let him go and have fun.”

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Veteran batting great Virat Kohli and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be in the spotlight as the T20 Indian Premier League spans the generations in the playoffs beginning on Tuesday.

There are 22 years between the 37-year-old Kohli, who helped power defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the regular season standings, and teenage prodigy Sooryavanshi, whose batting fireworks have been the talk of the IPL season.

Kohli and Bengaluru will meet Gujarat Titans in the first “qualifying” play-off in Dharamsala on Tuesday, with the winner going straight into Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi and Rajasthan Royals sealed the final play-off berth only on Sunday and will meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday in Chandigarh, where the losers will go home.

The winner will face the loser of Tuesday’s qualifying playoff in the final eliminator on Friday in Chandigarh.

“We don’t pick age, we pick ability,” Rajasthan head coach Kumar Sangakkara said, referring to the 15-year-old rising star.

“All guys, young and old, have done well to drag us to qualification.”

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England fast bowler Jofra Archer has also been instrumental in Rajasthan’s campaign, scoring 32 runs and taking 3-17 in the win that saw them into the last four.

Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

“Even after all these years, it is the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. That joy is still there,” said Kohli, who is ninth on the IPL batting chart with 557 runs and a top score of 105 not out.

Sooryavanshi is fifth on 583 runs with a best of 103 off 37 balls.

Rajasthan’s opponents on Wednesday will be Sunrisers Hyderabad, who boast a formidable batting line-up featuring openers Travis Head of Australia, Abhishek Sharma, and South African Heinrich Klaasen, who has hammered 606 runs with six half-centuries.

The batting chart is topped by Gujarat Titans openers Sai Sudharsan (638 runs) and Shubman Gill (616).

Gujarat won the IPL in their debut season in 2022 and if they reach the final again will play the showpiece in their home 130,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

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India teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has set his sights on scoring a double century in T20 cricket, saying he wants to surpass former West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle’s record. 

The 15-year-old revealed his big ambition on former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen’s YouTube channel ‘The Switch’ when he was asked whether he enjoys his half-centuries.

“No, not that much (on celebrating 50s),” he replied.

He remarked that he wants to break Chris Gayle’s record of the highest individual score in the limited-overs format.

“I want to score 200 in T20s. I want to break Gayle’s record,” he said. “If I play 20 overs in any game, I definitely will break that record,” he added.

Currently, Gayle holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket. The southpaw recorded the feat of scoring 175 in 2013, playing for RCB against Pune Warriors India.

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Sooryavanshi has made headlines since debuting as the youngest IPL player at 14 last year. He has impressed with 583 runs in 14 matches at an average of 41.64 and a strike rate of 232.27, including one century and three fifties, with a highest score of 103.

For the unversed, Sooryavanshi became the youngest ever player to be bought ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Later that year, he made headlines in IPL after smashing a 35-ball ton. With his feat, the 14-year-old became the youngest centurion in men’s T20 cricket.

Turning out for the Rajasthan Royals in that season, he amassed 252 runs in seven matches at an astonishing strike rate of 206, including a century and one fifty.

His rise continued in the India U19’s World Cup-winning campaign earlier this year, finishing as the highest run-getter for his team, including a 175 off 80 balls in the final.

In IPL 2026, he has so far managed 583 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 232, including a century and three half-centuries.

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Former Australia coach Justin Langer compared Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with legendary cricketer Don Bradman after his latest batting display in the IPL 2026. 

Following the match against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) coach Langer praised Sooryavanshi’s performance.

“I’ve seen some amazing players in 35 years of cricket,” Langer told reporters in Jaipur. “To see a young man bat like that, not just tonight but throughout the series, is breathtaking.”

He said the left-handed batter had taken some of the world’s best bowlers to the cleaners. Langer added that it was incredible to see him play that way and also noted that he was now wearing the Orange Cap.

“It’s quite incredible, actually, to be able to play that way, and now have the orange cap,” said Langer.

“The scary thing going forward — if the expressions on the face of Mitch Starc [Mitchell] and [Anrich] Nortje and every bowler tells a story now — is what about when he learns how to bat?” Langer highlighted.

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The 55-year-old said it was amazing to watch such a young player bat and described him as a brilliant talent.

“Gosh, he’s so young. He’s a brilliant player, and it’s a real privilege to watch him bat.”

He also drew a comparison with Don Bradman, suggesting that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could adapt to different conditions.

“People say to me, ‘Would Bradman have made so many runs on… in the days where, you know, there was… you know, they could wear helmets or blah, blah, blah?’ And I say, well, he would have adapted,” he continued.

“And… and Sooryavanshi is that good, wherever he plays, he’s going to adapt his game because where are they going to bowl to him? Where, honestly, where are they going to bowl to him? So, he’ll adapt. He’ll keep getting better and better, which is scary for world cricket,” Langer concluded.

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Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi struck a blistering 93 to power Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday to boost their play-off hopes in the IPL 2026.

T20 sensation Sooryavanshi, who was playing as an impact substitute, struck his third half-century of the season as he hammered seven fours and 10 sixes in his 38-ball knock to guide Rajasthan’s chase of 221 at their home in Jaipur.

Left-handed Sooryavanshi missed out on a century before Dhruv Jurel made an unbeaten 53 as Rajasthan achieved their target with five balls to spare for their seventh win in 13 matches and move into the top four of the 10-team table.

A win in their last league match against Mumbai Indians on Sunday will book the only remaining play-off spot.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad have already made the play-offs of the tournament that will conclude on May 31 in Ahmedabad.

Sooryavanshi’s batting blitz trumped Lucknow opener Mitchell Marsh’s 96, a knock that steered his team to an imposing 220-5.

The T20 sensation has been in red-hot form in the 2026 IPL, and passed March’s tally of Marsh 563 runs to climb to the top of the batting chart with 579 runs in 13 matches.

He has hit one ton and has compiled his runs at a punishing strike-rate of 237.29.

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Sooryavanshi’s opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal provided the early impetus with his 23-ball 43 in a first-wicket stand of 75.

Jaiswal, a left-hander who stood in as captain in place of injured Riyan Parag, departed in the seventh over but Rajasthan kept up pace with Jurel and Sooryavanshi putting together 105 runs.

Sooryavanshi reached his fifty in 23 balls and changed gears to smack Prince Yadav for two straight sixes and another two off Mayank Yadav in a 29-run 12th over to put Lucknow on course.

He finally fell to Mohsin Khan with Abdul Samad taking a well-judged catch in the deep but the damage was done.

Bottom-placed Lucknow, who are already out of the play-off race along with Mumbai, had a blazing start with Josh Inglis, who made 60 off 29 balls, adding 109 for the first wicket with fellow Australian Marsh.

Inglis and then Nicholas Pooran departed but Marsh kept up the pace alongside skipper Rishabh Pant, who made 35.

The Rajasthan Royals bowlers pulled things back in the final few overs and Marsh missed out on his hundred after being run out on the penultimate ball.

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India’s rising teenage sensation, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, is on the verge of scripting history, with reports suggesting the 15-year-old could soon become the youngest player to represent the country at the international level.

The prodigious batter has been making waves with his fearless strokeplay, and his performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, for Rajasthan Royals, have only strengthened his case for national selection.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the youngster has been shortlisted for India’s upcoming two-match T20I series against Ireland in June, with selectors closely monitoring his progress.

He is also believed to be in contention for the subsequent three-match series against Zimbabwe in July.

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If handed a debut, Sooryavanshi would surpass the long-standing record held by Sachin Tendulkar, who was 16 years and 205 days old at the time of his international debut.

He would also go past Shafali Verma, who made her T20I debut at 15 years and 239 days in women’s cricket.

Notably, in the IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi has amassed 200 runs in five matches at an average of 40 and an astonishing strike rate of over 260, making him one of the standout performers of the season.

Overall, he has featured in 23 T20 matches, scoring 901 runs at an average of 40.95 and a blistering strike rate exceeding 215, including three centuries.

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