Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has lit up the IPL 2026 with his batting performances for the Rajasthan Royals, has received huge praise from former India opener and captain Kris Srikkanth. Srikkanth even compared him to a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar and stated that Vaibhav shares similar traits and should be fast-tracked into the Indian team.
Sooryavanshi has smashed 246 runs in 6 games with 2 fifties and a strike rate of 236.53, hitting 24 fours and 20 sixes in the process. He has humbled the best of the bowlers, hitting Jasprit Bumrah for a six on the first ball he faced from the ace fast bowler in the IPL.
Ajit Agarkar, the current chairman, was requested by Srikkanth to expedite Sooryavanshi's inclusion in the Indian squad as soon as possible. He acknowledged that the young player's fearless style of cricket, which has enthralled spectators since his IPL debut last year—especially this season, given his dominance against top bowlers like Josh Hazlewood and Jasprit Bumrah—has astounded him.
“This guy, Sooryavanshi… imagine someone playing such shots. That boy is simply outstanding and brilliant. Ajit, I’m telling you, you need to fast-track him. The next series, he should be playing. I’ve been saying this to them for the last year. He should have been fast-tracked, even into the T20 World Cup squad. He doesn’t need to be in the XI straightaway—first let him be in the 15, understand the environment, and get a feel for international cricket,” Srikkanth told The Week.
Srikkanth doubled down on his stance, dismissing the need for a cautious approach.
“I think Sooryavanshi should be fast-tracked. No question of ‘give him time; let him be consistent.' No chance. That guy can win matches for you just like that. Imagine, first ball, he hits Bumrah for a six. Hazlewood gets hammered—he’s not bothered about who the bowler is. He’s a prodigy,” he added.
Srikkanth also compared him to Sachin Tendulkar, who had made his India Test debut under his captaincy at the age of 16 in Pakistan. Seeing Tendulkar’s rise to the god of cricket from close, Srikkanth suggested Sooryavanshi could follow a similar path.
“When I went as captain in 1989, there was a prodigy—a 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar. Today, he’s the God of Cricket. Similarly, this boy could well become the next ‘demigod’ of cricket,” he said.
A report from PTI has suggested that Sooryavanshi is in the list of 35 probables who could make their T20I debut in the upcoming assignments for Team India.
