Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken the cricketing world by storm with his stunning exploits in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) teenage sensation is currently holding fifth spot in the leading run-scorer standings, with 404 runs in 10 innings at a blistering strike rate of 237.64, including a 36-ball hundred and two half-centuries. In the process, he has dominated high-profile bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood.
Impressed with his exploits, former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has strongly endorsed the 15-year-old Sooryavanshi for Test cricket, believing the traditional format will hone his temperament, skills, and earn him immense respect.
“Vaibhav is such a player who is doing very well in T20 cricket, and he will definitely get a chance in the Indian team. Whether he plays Test cricket or not, only time will tell. If he has the potential, opportunity, time, and he can play his game, then he should definitely play Test cricket, because your temperament, your ability, and the respect that you talk about come from Test cricket. So definitely, Test cricket should be there in each and every young player's mind,” Pujara said while speaking to JioHotstar.
“I do agree that Test cricket is the ultimate format of the game, but that doesn't mean that the white ball specialist players don't have that ability. If there is a white-ball specialist, like Vaibhav (Sooryavanshi) and Shreyas Iyer, then they should be playing that format. There should be different players for different formats,” he added.
Recently, Sooryavanshi expressed his ambition to represent the senior Indian team and play in the World Cup to fulfill his father’s dream.
“For whatever duration I am on the ground, as long as I am using my skills, dominate and play, I can snatch the match from opponents' hands. I also spoke to my father. He said I have fulfilled half of his dream, but half is still left. I need to play in the World Cup for the senior Indian team. Of course, every player shares the same dream: to play for the seniors and win for their country, India. That is my focus for India,” the youngster said while speaking to Doordarshan.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has broken several records in this year’s IPL, including becoming the fastest player to 400 runs in a single season (167 balls) and hitting multiple 15-ball half-centuries.
Sooryavanshi has already hammered 99 sixes in his T20 career, the most by any player before turning 20, and currently leads the IPL 2026 season with 37 sixes.
