Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on the meteoric rise of 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who recently transitioned from a record-breaking domestic and IPL run to the international stage.
After lighting up the U-19 level, the teenage sensation became the youngest debutant for India during the England tour last month. He solidified his immense potential by capturing his maiden Player-of-the-Series award during India’s 3-0 T20I sweep against Zimbabwe, amassing 151 runs in three innings.
In a podcast interview with PTI, Harbhajan specifically hailed Sooryavanshi’s ability to execute audacious strokes, saying the latter is capable of sowing doubt in the mind of a bowler despite his tender age and low experience.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is extraordinary. He is a unique player. I have not seen a player like him before, one who can dominate the world at 14-15 years of age," Harbhajan said.
Sooryavanshi earned his maiden India call-up after a dominating IPL 2026 campaign. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR), he won the Orange Cap and was named the Most Valuable Player for scoring 776 runs in 16 innings at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including one hundred, five half-centuries and a record 72 sixes in an IPL season.
Along way, the southpaw dominated elite international bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
"When the world's top bowlers are bowling to him, they are actually thinking about where to bowl. That itself is a big, big statement," Harbhajan said. "The only way to survive is to attack him. You go at him and you take his wicket."
"It may not work all the time. Sometimes you might even get smashed. He would've hit sixes. But that is part of the game. You have to accept that he's good."
Asked how he would bowl to Sooryavanshi in a powerplay situation, Harbhajan replied, "I won't set the field according to what he's doing. I'll set the field according to what I'm doing. If I bowl to escape, I won't be able to get him out.
"You go at him and you take his wicket. You might get success, you might not. That's just a matter of time. You have to accept that he's good. But still, the next ball should be about how to get him out," he further remarked.
(With PTI Inputs)
