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Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has urged teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to embrace Test cricket to save the format.
Sooryavanshi has won the hearts of many people across the world after his heroics for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026.
Following his freak show at the IPL, there have been many conversations around the possibility of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi playing international cricket, especially Tests.
Earlier this month, he came one step closer to realizing the India dream after being selected for India A's tri-series against Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A in June.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026
After impressing in IPL 2025 and at the Under-19 level, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi transcended all expectations in IPL 2026.
With 776 runs in 16 matches, the 15-year-old currently holds the Orange Cap with just 1 match to go in the entire season. Sooryavanshi's season, though, has come to an end after RR's loss to the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2 on Friday.
Sooryavanshi's runs came at a strike rate of 237, making him the first player to score at least 600 runs at a strike rate over 200 in any T20 tournament.
He also hit 72 sixes across the entire tournament, breaking Chris Gayle's record for the most sixes by a player in an IPL season.
"Our hopes sit with you" - Dale Steyn
The former South African pacer took to his X account and said that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could become Test cricket's greatest ambassador.
Steyn opined that if Sooryavanshi came out and said that playing Test cricket for India was his dream, then it would be an amazing advertisement for the format.
"There’s no bigger advertisement for Test cricket than if Sooryavanshi tells the world his dream is to play red ball for India. Our hopes sit with you, young sir," Steyn wrote on X.
There’s no bigger advertisement for Test cricket than if Sooryavanshi tells the world his dream is to play red ball for India.
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) May 30, 2026
Our hopes sit with you young sir.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets ultimate seal of approval as Sachin Tendulkar endorses Test selection
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in First Class cricket
Most of Sooryavanshi's exploits have come at the Under-19 level and the IPL. But he has shown glimpses of his skill in senior cricket too.
In 2026, he finished as the second-highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup as India won the tournament. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was at his blistering best in the final, making 175 runs from 80 balls against England.
In September 2024, he made the second-fastest century of all time in Youth Tests at just 13 years old with a 58-ball century against Australia. Sooryavanshi has both the second and the third-fastest centuries of all time in Youth ODIs, making 52-and 53-ball centuries against England.
In December 2025, he made a 36-ball century against Arunachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On that day, he went on to make the fastest 150 in List-A history by getting to the milestone in 59 balls, and eventually ended with 190 runs off just 84 balls.
In First Class cricket, Sooryavanshi has played just 8 matches after making his debut as a 12-year-old in the Ranji Trophy in 2024. Sooryavanshi only has 207 runs in First Class cricket at an average of 17.25. But he did not ditch his aggressive ways in red-ball cricket, as he has maintained a strike rate of 90 in the format.
Last November, he made his only First Class fifty by smashing 93 runs from just 67 balls against Meghalaya.
