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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been in the news for months now. The 15-year-old boy wonder displayed his talent in the U-19 World Cup as he became the Player of the Tournament and smacked 175 runs in the final against England. Post that, he had a stellar TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The teenage sensation finished as the leading run-getter in the rich cash league, finishing with 776 runs with one hundred and 5 half-centuries and thus winning the Orange Cap and also becoming the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, after his phenomenal season, was called up to the India A team, and later he earned his maiden call-up to the senior team.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi created history
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finally got his chance after a long wait in the 2nd T20I match between India and England. He made his debut and broke Sachin Tendulkar’s long record of youngest ever cricketer to make his debut for the India National Cricket Team. Tendulkar made his debut at the age of 16 years, and Sooryavanshi made his debut at the age of 15 years, 99 days.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 14 runs off 10 deliveries on his debut game and looked in good touch. Many former cricketers and experts were delighted after his debut as they witnessed him performing live in the IPL. Now, former South Africa captain AB de Villiers have shared his views on the boy wonder and the challenges Sooryavanshi might face in the upcoming years.
"It's (T20) much easier"- AB de Villiers feels T20 cricket is easier than Test cricket
Speaking on TOI Sports' Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast, de Villiers said the massive appeal of T20 cricket have influenced the young players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi while deciding their careers, as it has been easier to play the shorter format of the game rather than playing Test cricket.
"He (Sooryavanshi) could become one of the first youngsters to simply say, 'Sorry, I'm not interested in Test cricket. I'm perfectly happy playing T20 cricket."
"From a comfort perspective, it's (T20) much easier. You're facing short spells, there are only two fielders outside the circle during the Powerplay, the wickets are flatter-it can be a much easier life as a cricketer. We'll see what he decides. But regardless of what he (Sooryavanshi) chooses, there will certainly be challenges and pitfalls along the way."
"He will go through difficult patches"- AB de Villiers warns Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
AB de Villiers also pointed out the fact that if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi refuses to play Test cricket and only plays the shorter format of the game, then it should be respected and not blame him for taking the decision.
"You can't blame him. Those decisions are made at the top. It's up to the administrators to find the right balance and make those decisions a little more difficult than they currently are. Right now, the choice is quite obvious (between Test and T20)," de Villiers said on TOI Sports' Bombay Sports Exchange Podcast.
At the same time, de Villiers said Sooryavanshi's journey will not be easy. "He will go through difficult patches. His character will be tested. Then it will be up to him to show whether he has the character and mental strength to come through those phases. There are plenty of alarm bells and pitfalls that he could encounter," he said.
"At 15, you should still be relatively immature-and he probably is. We'll have to wait and see what happens. I hope he has good leadership, guidance and mentorship around him. I also hope he's open to accepting help along the way because it will be a rocky road. There's absolutely no doubt about that. Especially if he chooses to play Test cricket-which he may not."
