Rajasthan Royals coach Kumar Sangakkara says 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is able to symbolize India. Photograph: AFP
MUMBAI:
Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been the toast of the cricket world in a shocking IPL season for Rajasthan Royals — and coach Kumar Sangakkara says the 15-year-old is able to symbolize India.
Sooryavanshi’s 96 runs on Friday within the final playoff went in useless, as Rajasthan misplaced to Gujarat Titans by seven wickets to bow out of the T20 event.
However the season belonged to the left-handed Sooryavanshi, who leads the batting chart with 776 runs at a mean 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, however as soon as once more impressed together with his 47-ball knock, laced with eight fours and 7 sixes, in New Chandigarh.
“With all the pieces Vaibhav’s proven towards among the finest bowlers on this planet, I believe he is greater than able to tackle any problem that you simply throw at him,” Sangakkara stated.
“I am certain that he’ll get that (India) call-up very, very quickly. He is batted with a number of maturity, he has shouldered the duty of that opening partnership so properly for us this season.”
The teenage sensation held the innings collectively after Rajasthan misplaced two fast wickets and reached his fifty in 31 balls — his slowest within the IPL.
Sooryavanshi modified gears, smashing a six off Jason Holder down the bottom.
He fell to Kagiso Rabada after a mis-hit to deep third man, a dismissal much like his earlier when he struck a 29-ball 97 within the eliminator on Wednesday.
– ‘No-fear angle’ –
“I believe we’re very, very pleased with the season that he is had,” stated Sangakkara.
“And we simply need to ensure that he retains going, retains that intent, retains that no-fear angle and retains rising. I believe he’ll be even higher because the years go by.”
Sooryavanshi joined Rajasthan when he was 13, scoring a 35-ball century in his debut 12 months in 2025 at age 14.
“I believe we have a very good plan round him. We do not lower his thoughts an excessive amount of,” stated former Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara.
“He involves all our staff conferences, he contributes, he listens. And he does a number of homework. So we do not need to put any pointless ideas into his head. I believe a transparent thoughts, batting with that braveness is strictly what we need to see of him.”
Sooryavanshi received reward from the opposition camp with Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki, saying the boy surprise is already among the many T20 elite.
“I’ve not seen anybody bat like the way in which he bats, and I believe on this format, most likely he is proper now top-of-the-line batters on this planet,” stated the previous England batter.
“And it is exceptional to see his biomechanics and his hand pace, and it doesn’t matter what opposition he performs towards… within the years to return, the opposition that he performs towards goes to have a troublesome time towards him.”
