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Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has asked fans to stay patient with young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old has already made a huge name for himself with his fearless white-ball batting, but Kapil Dev feels it is still too early to call him the next superstar.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has enjoyed a stunning 2026 season. He smashed 175 runs from just 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final against England and played a key role in India’s title win. Amid this, Virat Kohli mourns Nana Patekar’s demise, calls him a ‘True Legend’ of Indian Cinema.
He then carried the same form into IPL 2026, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 776 runs at a strike rate of more than 237. His performances earned him his first India call-up for the T20I series against Ireland and England, and he has recently returned from the Asian Games 2026.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi gets Kapil Dev reality check amid superstar hype
Kapil Dev believes that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi clearly has the talent, but the teenager still needs time to develop. He pointed to former Indian batter Vinod Kambli as an example of a player who had enormous talent but could not maintain his early success.
The former Indian captain said that the next few years will be very important for the left-hander. As he grows older, his lifestyle, mindset, and responsibilities will also change, and how he handles those changes will be more important than his current performances for his greater future.
Kapil Dev was quoted as saying by the Times of India, "It's too early. Does he have the ability? Yes. But there have been so many in cricket who came with so much ability, then faded out. Look at Vinod Kambli. What will we say about that?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is 16 years old. Give him another three years, then we will talk. When his lifestyle changes, his thinking too will change. Then we’ll come to know how he will look after the next two years. That is more important than looking at his performance.”
Kapil Dev warns Hardik Pandya about long breaks
Meanwhile, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain also had an important message for Hardik Pandya. He feels the star all-rounder needs to play more cricket to reduce his injury problems. He has not played for India since helping the team win the 2026 T20 World Cup in March.
Kapil believes that regular cricket can help a player’s body stay ready for the demands of the game. Long breaks followed by sudden heavy workloads can increase the chances of injuries. Amid this, Sanjay Manjrekar gives blunt verdict on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's India comeback.
The legendary all-rounder said, “Play more cricket. You play more, and your body gets tuned to that. But if you play less and suddenly you play more, the chances of injury increase. If your muscles are fine, your injuries are fewer.”
Kapil Dev amazed by Jasprit Bumrah’s rise
The former Indian captain also showered rich praise on Jasprit Bumrah for the way he proved his doubters wrong and established himself as one of the best bowlers despite his unusual bowling action. Bumrah has so far taken 511 wickets across formats at an outstanding average of 20.56.
Kapil signed off by saying, “He’s fabulous. Hats off to him. With that action, he’s proved people like us wrong. We never thought he could survive with that action and bowl so well and become a world-leading bowler. Tremendous.”
