Vaibhav Sooryavanshi destined for greatness! England legend stamps him as cricket’s next big thing
Published - 10 Mar 2026, 03:15 PM | Updated - 10 Mar 2026, 03:20 PM
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has showered praise on Indian youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The cricketer-turned-commentator called Sooryavanshi a special talent, recalling his century against England in the U19 World Cup 2026 final.
India U19 thrashed England U19 by 100 runs in the World Cup final last month. The Indian side posted a massive total of 411/9 after batting first on February 6. The left-handed batter slammed a blistering 175 runs off just 80 balls, including 15 boundaries and 15 sixes, at an incredible strike rate of 218.75.
The youngster was named the Player of the Series after finishing as the tournament's top performer. He scored 439 runs in seven innings at an average of 62.71, including three fifties and one century.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Is A Special Talent - Michael Vaughan
Speaking with Harsha Bhogle for Stick to Cricket, Michael Vaughan lauded Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s bright future. "We've got another one coming through that's going to be. Yeah, he's a special talent."
Harsha Bhogle revealed his conversations with VVS Laxman about the youngster's fearless approach. Bhogle stated that his talent forced the Rajasthan Royals franchise to trade Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings.
"I was listening to Alastair Cook talking about Sooryavanshi in the programme. I asked VVS Laxman about him. I said, 'Is he really that good? But he doesn't block a ball! At some point, he's got to block a ball. Because of him, Rajasthan Royals have let Sanju Samson go to CSK. Because they've got Jaiswal and Suryavanshu opening for them.'"
I think he is https://t.co/ZJ2wc1YeC9
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 10, 2026
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Impressive Domestic And IPL Performances
Vaibhav also delivered stunning performances in domestic cricket. He scored 197 runs from six matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at a strike rate of 168.37. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he amassed 220 runs at a stunning strike rate of 235.10.
The talented youngster was acquired for ₹1.1 crore by the Rajasthan Royals during the IPL 2025 auction. In his debut IPL season, he impressed everyone with his stellar performances. He scored 252 runs from seven games at an average of 36.00 and an impeccable strike rate of 206.55.
The left-handed batter won the 'Super Striker of the Season' award in IPL 2025, which included a cash prize of ₹10 lakh and a brand new Tata Curvv SUV.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi To Return To Action For Rajasthan Royals
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will next return to action in IPL 2026, which is likely to begin on March 28. The southpaw will continue to represent the Rajasthan Royals after being retained for ₹1.10 crore. The franchise will sincerely hope he carries his spectacular form into the season.
Meanwhile, the franchise will be led by new captain Riyan Parag. RR have players like Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Shubham Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir Singh Charak, and fast bowler Kuldeep Sen.
The team also has Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger, and Sam Curran. The remaining roster is completed by Donovan Ferreira, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Vignesh Puthur, Yash Raj Punja, Aman Rao, Brijesh Sharma, and Adam Milne for the upcoming tournament.
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Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...
