Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lankan captain and current Rajasthan Royals head coach, has praised Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s exceptional confidence and batting prowess. Speaking from the Sky Sports commentary box during a Test match between England and New Zealand, Sangakkara highlighted the 15-year-old’s unique self-belief, especially during the IPL 2026 campaign.
Sooryavanshi’s performance in the IPL 2026 was notable, as he helped the Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs and secured the Orange Cap with 776 runs. His record-breaking season included becoming the fastest batter in T20 history to reach 1,000 runs, achieving this in 440 deliveries. He also became the first player to accumulate 500 powerplay runs in a single tournament.
Unwavering Confidence on the Field
Sangakkara recounted a specific incident from a high-stakes group encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The Royals needed to win this match to keep their playoff hopes alive, facing a challenging target of 221 runs. As the chase was about to begin, Sooryavanshi, then 15, approached Sangakkara.
“Before heading to the middle, he looked at me, winked, and said, ‘Coach, don’t worry. It’s done’,” Sangakkara recalled. Following this, Sooryavanshi entered the dressing room and made a specific prediction to his teammates, Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius. He told them, “Listen you two, I’m going to hit 13 sixes today. After that, you just finish the job.”
The young batter’s prophecy nearly came true. Sooryavanshi launched an attack on the Lucknow bowling unit, scoring 93 runs off just 38 deliveries. He hit 10 sixes in that game before being dismissed just short of a century. Sangakkara noted that Ferreira and Pretorius initially thought he was joking, but started counting his sixes once he reached five, realizing his seriousness. This incident, according to Sangakkara, exemplifies Sooryavanshi’s confidence at his age.
Dinesh Karthik, the batting coach and mentor for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, also commented on Sooryavanshi’s batting prowess. Karthik highlighted how experienced pacers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood struggled against him, despite having a clear strategy. Karthik found Sooryavanshi to be one of the toughest batters to bowl to in the IPL, noting his wide base and strong legs, which allow him to hit effectively on the offside.
Karthik further explained that in the powerplay, with only two fielders outside the circle, it was difficult to contain Sooryavanshi. Beyond the powerplay, he demonstrated intelligence in sticking to his strengths, rotating the strike and hitting boundaries when bowlers erred. This indicates he is not a one-dimensional player.
Handling Fame and Future Prospects
Sangakkara believes that Sooryavanshi is well-equipped to manage the attention and commercial pressures that come with his rapid rise. “He will have many opportunities ahead, in cricket and commercially. How he balances that, and the support he gets from his family and the team, will be crucial,” Sangakkara stated.
The Rajasthan Royals head coach emphasized that Sooryavanshi’s love for batting and the game itself is a key factor. He noted that the “fame and flash” do not seem to affect the young player, describing him as grounded and curious about various things. Sangakkara also pointed out Sooryavanshi’s emotional maturity, which allows him to have interests beyond cricket, preventing him from being solely consumed by the sport.
Sangakkara expressed his certainty that Sooryavanshi will be a significant force in Indian cricket, world cricket, and franchise cricket. He believes the young player is in a good mental state and will handle the challenges of fame effectively. After his record-breaking IPL season, Sooryavanshi continued his strong form by scoring 94 runs off 29 balls in the final of a tri-series with the India A team against Sri Lanka A in Dambulla.
Sooryavanshi is currently touring the UK with the senior national team, having received his maiden T20I call-up. Although he was not selected for the starting XI in the series opener against Ireland in Belfast, an India debut is anticipated. If he makes his debut during the upcoming six T20Is in the UK, which include five matches against England in July, he would become the youngest male player to debut for India in international cricket, surpassing a record held for 37 years.
The discovery of Sooryavanshi by the Rajasthan Royals was also detailed by Sangakkara. In 2023, an analyst named Akshay informed the team about a 12-year-old named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, recommending that they observe his talent. Initially, the team was surprised, but Akshay’s conviction led them to bring him in. Rahul Dravid, who was the head coach at RR at the time, observed Sooryavanshi for a short period and decided the team needed to acquire him.
Sangakkara first witnessed Sooryavanshi’s talent during a camp in Guwahati. He recalled that during a side net session, Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma were bowling with the new ball, and no one wanted to bat against them. Sooryavanshi volunteered and, according to Sangakkara, the sound of the bat was like a gunshot as he confidently faced Archer and Sandeep. Archer reportedly stopped and laughed, observing how the 14-year-old was handling him with ease.
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Source: indiatoday.in
Arjun Sharma
Sports Reporter