‘VaibhavWatch is going to be exciting, telling us everything about his temperament, hunger & character’
Already an IPL name at 14, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s rise has been swift, startling and emphatic. His rise has been anything but hype-driven, built instead on a stream of eye-catching displays across junior and domestic cricket.
Sooryavanshi has already set a new benchmark in Under-19 cricket, producing explosive innings with remarkable consistency across varied conditions in England, Australia and South Africa. Wherever he has played, the impact has been immediate and decisive, with little sign of a slowdown. His ability to clear the ropes with ease at such a tender age has marked him out as a rare, generational talent. With the Under-19 World Cup approaching and another IPL season with Rajasthan Royals on the horizon, expectations around him continue to soar.
Leading India Under-19 for the first time, Vaibhav underlined his growing stature with a stunning 63-ball century in the final Youth ODI against South Africa. The swashbuckling opener dismantled the Proteas attack with audacious strokeplay all around the park, smashing 127 off 74 balls, an innings studded with 10 sixes and nine fours.
The excitement around the teenage prodigy has also caught the attention of Ravichandran Ashwin. The veteran spinner highlighted the sheer volume and impact of Sooryavanshi’s recent performances in a social media post, underlining just how extraordinary the youngster’s run has been.
"171(95), 50(26), 190(84), 68(24), 108*(61), 46(25) & 127(74) today. These are just some of Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s scores in the last 30 days across domestic & U19 cricket. Enna thambi, indha adi podhuma, illa innum konjam venuma? Translation ( what’s all this brother? Is this sample enough or are you going to raise the bar further) You can't explain in words what this kid is doing at 14," Ashwin wrote on X.
Ashwin also looked ahead to what promises to be a defining phase in Sooryavanshi’s young career, pointing to the challenges that lie ahead and what they could reveal about the teenager beyond his prodigious talent.
"With the U19 WC round the corner where he’s expected to be the showstopper, followed immediately by the leap to the IPL for his first full season as an opener stepping into the big shoes of Sanju, the next four months of #VaibhavWatch is going to be exciting, telling us everything about his temperament, hunger & character," he wrote.
© 2026