Kumar Sangakkara recalls how Rajasthan Royals found teen star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi at age 12. The 15-year-old, set for his India debut, amazed with his confidence and talent, including a record-breaking IPL 2026 season for RR.
With India set to take on hosts Ireland in the second T20I and then England in a five-match T20I series, the spotlight will firmly be on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who is poised to make his international debut after a breakout IPL season.
The Discovery of a Prodigy
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara recalled the story of how the Rajasthan Royals discovered Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. “In 2023, our analyst Akshay sent us a text about a 12-year-old kid named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He said the boy was incredibly talented and we needed to have a look. His coach, Manish Ojha, had told Vaibhav’s father that the kid was ready for the big leagues at just 12. We were surprised at first. Thought it was a joke. But Akshay was very sure, so we brought him in,” said Sangakkara.
He further added, “Rahul Dravid was the head coach at RR then. They watched him for five or six minutes and said, ‘We have to buy this lad.’ I first saw Vaibhav during a camp in Guwahati. In a small side net, Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma were bowling with the new ball. No one wanted to bat there. Vaibhav walked in and said, ‘I’ll bat.’ The sound of his bat was like a gunshot. He took on Archer and Sandeep with ease. At one point, Archer just stopped and laughed because this 14-year-old was treating him with utter disdain.”
A Record-Breaking Talent
In the recent tri-nation in Sri Lanka, featuring Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A, Sooryavanshi made 211 runs in five innings at an average of 42.20, with a strike rate of almost 201, with the best score of 94, his solitary fifty coming in the final. He also smacked the fastest List A cricket fifty in 11 balls against Sri Lanka A.
Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden national call-up following a sensational IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals, where he amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. His explosive season saw him finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer while smashing a record 72 sixes. The youngster also swept multiple post-season honours, including the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.
Unshakeable Self-Belief
On Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s unbelievable confidence in himself, Sangakkara said, “I have a story from this season that stands out. We were playing against Lucknow Super Giants. They needed to defend 220 to stay alive in the tournament. We fielded first, and as the chase was about to begin, Vaibhav was walking out to open. Before heading to the middle, he looked at me, winked, and said, ‘Coach, don’t worry. It’s done.'”
“Then he walked into the dressing room and told Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, ‘Listen, you two, I’m going to hit 13 sixes today. After that, you just finish the job.’ He ended up hitting 10 sixes in that game. Donovan and Lhuan-dre thought he was joking at first. But when he reached five sixes, they started counting down because they realised he was actually going to do it. That’s the kind of confidence Vaibhav has at just 15 years of age,” he added.
Poised for International Debut
India have lost the first T20I against Ireland by 34 runs. The second T20I of the series will take place in Belfast on Sunday, and the biggest talking point will be the debut of Sooryavanshi, which, if it happens, will make him the youngest Indian to play international cricket at the age of 15.
Handling the Spotlight
On how Sooryavanshi is equipped to handle the fame and attention coming his way, the former Sri Lankan batter said, “I feel Vaibhav will handle all the attention very well. At Rajasthan Royals, we pay a lot of attention to how we manage him and protect him. We keep an eye on him to make sure he stays grounded and focused. 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.”
“But one thing I can say for sure is that Vaibhav loves batting. He loves the game. The fame and flash don’t really affect him. He is very grounded and curious about many things. He doesn’t just live and breathe cricket all the time. He has space for other things. I have no doubt he will be a force for Indian cricket, world cricket, and in franchise cricket. Mentally, he is in a good place. I think he will deal with everything that comes with fame very well,” he concluded.
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