Star Afghanistan cricketer Rashid Khan has lavished rich praise on India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi amidst the ongoing three-match T20I series between the two countries. This series is being played in Delhi, and India has taken a 2-0 lead by winning the first two T20Is.
In regard to the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rashid is facing off against Sooryavanshi, who is among the best adolescent hitters in that format of the game.
His prowess was established by scoring 100 runs at the age of 14 as the youngest player to do so not only in the IPL but also in T20 cricket during his rookie season in 2025. Subsequently, he topped this feat by amassing 776 runs, which included one hundred, five half-centuries, and a world record of 72 sixes in the IPL of 2026.
Furthermore, Rashid scored an impressive 175 runs off just 80 balls in the final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup of 2025 for India.
This led to Sooryavanshi making his India debut in the England T20I series, becoming the youngest Indian to do so, at the age of 15 years and 99 days—breaking a record for India's youngest international debutant that had stood since Sachin Tendulkar's 1989 Test debut.
Rashid was asked what elevates Sooryavanshi beyond obvious natural talent.
“Well, as I mentioned—fearless cricket. And he backs up his skills and knows his shots. I think his shot selection is more important, and he knows his game plan against any side, any bowler, anytime. You hardly see those kinds of things at a very young age; it comes with time, but he already has it.
The way he plays fearlessly is what makes him unique. And the power he has, the hand-eye coordination—I think it is something very different. You hardly see that in any other player. He is a god-gifted talent,” Rashid Khan stated in an interview with The Times of India.
When asked if meeting Sooryavanshi felt like facing a younger version of himself, Rashid quickly dismissed the analogy.
"I wasn't that talented, to be honest, at that age, but yes, the skill was there. But I don't know if I could hit those big sixes at that age or how he has been hitting. But as I said, he is a unique talent, and he has shown it not only in the IPL but even in the Indian team as well, so I think he is someone very special,” he added.
Sooryavanshi has played 6 T20Is for India, scoring 193 runs with two fifties, at a strike rate of 189.21 and a highest score of 81. In 23 IPL games, Sooryavanshi has 1028 runs at a strike rate of 228.95, including two centuries and 6 fifties.
