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Chennai Super Kings star Sarfaraz Khan reminisced about the first time that he saw Rajasthan Royals' teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play. Sarafaraz spoke on the sidelines of a jersey launch event in Mumbai for the T20 Mumbai League.
Sooryavanshi's exploits have wowed the world in IPL 2026, but Sarfaraz claimed to see something special within the teenager more than two years ago. Now, there have been many calls for Sooryavanshi to be selected in the Indian team already, at least in T20s.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and the Rajasthan Royals' IPL 2026 campaign came to an end on Friday, when, despite the southpaw making 96 runs off 47 balls, RR failed to defend 214 against the Gujarat Titans.
Even at 12, he had great skill- Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan reminisced about playing against Sooryavanshi for the very first time in 2024. In January 2024, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made his Ranji Trophy debut for Bihar against Mumbai at the age of just 12 years and 284 days. He had become the youngest player to make his First Class debut in more than six decades.
Bihar lost by an innings and 51 runs while Sooryavanshi managed modest scores of just 19 and 12. Sarfaraz said that even at that young age, Sooryavanshi had shown great skill. "He's a very good friend of mine, and we stay in touch. I first saw him during that Ranji debut, and even then, I could see that he had great skill," Sarfaraz said, as quoted by Mumbai Mirror.
He can play all formats- Sarfaraz Khan
When asked if Vaibhav had what it took to succeed across all formats of the game, Sarfaraz replied in the affirmative. "He can play both red-ball and white-ball cricket," Sarfaraz said. Outside the IPL, most of Sooryavanshi's exploits have come at the Under-19 level.
Earlier this year, 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 in just 80 balls against England.
In September 2024, he made the second-fastest century of all time in Youth Tests at just 13 years old. Sooryavanshi has both the second and the third-fastest centuries of all time in Youth ODIs.
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.
"His mindset is completely different" - Sarfaraz
Sarafaraz Khan said that what set Sooryavanshi apart from most other players wasn't just his talent, but his work ethic as well. Sararaz said that Sooryavanshi had a completely different mindset from many other players.
"His mindset and preparation are different. Anyone can succeed with hard work, but he has worked extremely hard on his game," Sarfaraz added.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026
In the IPL this year, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has gone on to break many records. He currently holds the Orange Cap with 776 runs in 16 matches. Sooryavanshi made his runs at an average of 48.50 and an amazing strike rate of 237.
He made 5 fifties and a century. His 72 sixes are already a record for the most sixes by a batter in a single IPL season. While it is true that he might lose the Orange Cap now, there is no denying that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi just had one of the best, if not the best, IPL seasons by any batter of all time.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in line for India ODI call-up for England tour: Report
