Vaibhav Sooryavanshi emerged as the breakout star of the recently concluded IPL 2026 season. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), the teenage prodigy topped the batting charts with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including one hundred and five half-centuries.
Along the way, Sooryavanshi dominated high-profile bowlers and shattered major milestones. At just 15 years and 65 days, he set a new IPL record as the youngest Orange Cap winner.
The southpaw became the fastest player in history to score 1000 IPL runs in terms of balls faced (440 balls) and the first to smash 500 powerplay runs in a single edition. He also broke Chris Gayle's long-standing record for most sixes in an IPL season (59 sixes set in 2012) by hammering 72 sixes across 16 matches.
As a result, Sooryavanshi swept five major honors at the post-tournament awards ceremony – Most Valuable Player of the Season, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, Orange Cap winner, and Super Sixes of the Season.
Impressed with his exploits, former India pacer Atul Wassan showered rich praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, citing that he sees shades of a young Sachin Tendulkar in the Bihar lad.
"He is a one in a million generational talent. Can you imagine the maturity and audacity of this boy? He reminds me of 16-year-old Sachin Tendulkar.
"I saw Sachin and that game maturity and audacity to take the bull by the horns (during the 1989 tour of Pakistan). God has blessed him with X factor along with the game & power," Wassan told PTI in an exclusive interview.
Following his unprecedented dominance in the IPL, calls for Sooryavanshi’s inclusion in the Indian T20I squad have grown louder.
Tendulkar made his international debut at the age of 16 against Pakistan on November 15, 1989, becoming the youngest Indian to play Test cricket.
"Though he has a long way to go. I hope everything falls into place just like it did for Sachin. The same God gifted X factor talent I see in Sooryavanshi," Atul said.
"The only thing that bothers me is that is he being mentored enough to aspire for the Test cap? He is king of this format (T20). He has got the game. But does he have more talent than just hitting sixes?" he added.
Atul Wassan emphasized the importance of long-term development, longevity, and strong mentorship over immediate record-breaking pressure for the teenager.
"It will be unfair to put the burden of breaking records. He should not be thinking or made to think about the records. He should aspire to become complete players like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli.
"They took their game to a higher and higher level with longevity. There will be a time when you have to change your game.
"During challenging times, if he can go back to the basics and ethos of the game then he will emerge as a great player. So it all depends upon who all mentor him and how. Guys like (Anil) Kumble and Dravid can keep in good stead."
According to Atul, a batter's true caliber is ultimately determined by performances in the Test format.
"'Test' is the real test. A player gets respect from Test cricket only. You could hit those sixes as the grounds were a bit short. But when there will be three slips, no restrictions on bouncers, big grounds and tough conditions, if you do well there, you earn respect before the eyes of your contemporaries."
Wassan further stated that one the most destructive T20 players, Chris Gayle, gained greater recognition when he proved himself in Tests.
"If you have a range of Chris Gayle. Gayle is Gayle because he scored a triple hundred in Test cricket. Gayle is arguably among one of the greatest T20 batters.
Wassan claimed that Sooryavanshi is ready for international cricket. "Sooryavanshi has shown that he is ready to play international cricket. He has taken all the bowlers in the world apart. He just walks in the Indian team. Where will you fit him is the job of the coach! In T20, one, two and three are all openers for me so it doesn't matter, " he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
