How A Confident Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Impressed Sangakkara In IPL: ‘He Winked & Said, Coach...'

At just 15, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already become a batting sensation. He is turning heads not just for his explosive batting but also for a temperament that defies his age. And if Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara is to be believed, the teenager’s grounded nature and clarity make him well-equipped to handle the spotlight.

Sooryavanshi is currently with the Indian team on its away tours of Ireland and England, where he’s not too far from a possible international debut. Sangakkara, who has seen Sooryavanshi from close quarters in the IPL, believes the young batter is destined to be a force not just for India but for world cricket.

“He will have many opportunities ahead, in cricket and commercially. How he balances that, and the support

he gets from his family and the team, will be crucial,” Sangakkara told Sky Sports. “But one thing I can say for sure is that Vaibhav loves batting. He loves the game. The fame and flash don’t really affect him. He is very grounded and curious about many things.”

Sangakkara revealed that the young batting sensation isn’t consumed entirely by the game and has a balanced outlook.

“He doesn’t just live and breathe cricket all the time. He has space for other things. I have no doubt he will be a force for Indian cricket, world cricket, and in franchise cricket. Mentally, he is in a good place. I think he will deal with everything that comes with fame very well,” Sangakkara said.

Recalling a contest between the Royals and Lucknow Super Giants last season, Sangakkara highlighted the sheer confidence Sooryavanshi carries.

“We were playing against Lucknow Super Giants. They needed to defend 220 to stay alive in the tournament. We fielded first, and as the chase was about to begin, Vaibhav was walking out to open. Before heading to the middle, he looked at me, winked, and said, ‘Coach, don’t worry. It’s done,” he said.

“Then he walked into the dressing room and told Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, ‘Listen, you two, I’m going to hit 13 sixes today. After that, you just finish the job.’ He ended up hitting 10 sixes in that game.”

“Donovan and Lhuan-dre thought he was joking at first. But when he reached five sixes, they started counting down because they realised he was actually going to do it. That’s the kind of confidence Vaibhav has at just 15 years of age,” Sangakkara added.