Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hasn’t been quiet at all in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. He picked up where he left off last season; perhaps he has only gotten better this year. The batting prodigy from Bihar is among the highest run-getters of the ongoing season, having amassed 400 runs already. The 15-year-old has been striking well, and if a few media reports are to be believed, he may get drafted into the Indian team soon.
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While Sooryavanshi’s age remains a topic of debate, former India opener Shikhar Dhawan feels that performances at the highest level should outweigh concerns about age, citing the fearless approach of young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
“If Vaibhav is doing brilliantly at the senior
level, then that has to be counted and not his age. Yes, he is a kid, but it’s astonishing the way he hits Bumrah and Arshdeep for such huge sixes,” Dhawan was quoted as saying by PTI.
“A lot of big guns haven’t done what he has at such a small age. Obviously, his time will come. It’s bound to come,” he added.
The former Indian opening batter underlined the difficulty of breaking into a settled top order, drawing parallels with his own long stint alongside Rohit and Kohli.
“Look, if the top order is doing well, you can’t readily replace them. When I, Ro[hit] and Virat were playing, we nearly played for a decade, and it wasn’t easy to replace us. It is up to the individual how they take it,” Dhawan said.
“It can pinch you a bit, but one shouldn’t be disheartened if the chance doesn’t come along readily. Vaibhav has so many blessings at this young age,” he added.
Observing the evolution of batting philosophies in T20 cricket, Dhawan noted the shift from conservative beginnings to a more aggressive template, while still valuing sound technique.
“When we started, our coaches said that hits along the ground, and now it is the opposite. Like Vaibhav has good defense as I have watched him defend close to his body,” he added.
