Greater Noida, June 5: Few cricketers understand the art of T20 batting better than Chris Gayle. The "Universe Boss" redefined power-hitting across formats and set benchmarks that seemed impossible to surpass. But the West Indies legend believes the next generation of Indian batters is capable of rewriting the record books.
Speaking exclusively to myKhel on the sidelines of the Big Cricket League Season 2 at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik International Stadium in Greater Noida, Gayle singled out teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and India's T20 World Cup-winning star Abhishek Sharma as two players capable of carrying the game to new heights.
The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar was particularly impressed with Sooryavanshi, who
enjoyed a dream IPL 2026 season with Rajasthan Royals, finishing as the tournament's leading run-scorer and emerging as one of the most talked-about young cricketers in the world.
Gayle in Awe of Sooryavanshi's Record-Breaking Rise
At just 15 years of age, Sooryavanshi has already achieved feats that most cricketers spend an entire career chasing. His performances in IPL 2026 not only earned him the (776 runs in 16 games) but also established him as one of the brightest prospects in world cricket.
Gayle admitted that the teenager's exploits had caught the attention of the cricketing world. "India has so much talent here. If you look at the youngsters, Vaibhav has been fantastic in the IPL, breaking records and setting new records as well. That's fantastic for a 15-year-old to actually do such things," Gayle told myKhel.
The West Indies legend also expressed his desire to see Sooryavanshi - who swept away all the awards for his performance in the IPL 2026, including the biggest prize of Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season - replicate his franchise success at the international level.
"Hopefully, I'll see him in India colours doing the same thing that he has done in the IPL and also in Under-19 cricket. He's a phenomenal player," Gayle added.
The endorsement carries significant weight considering Gayle remains one of the most destructive batters the sport has ever produced. The Jamaican's praise underlines just how highly Sooryavanshi is already rated among cricket's biggest names.
Abhishek Sharma Earns Special Mention
While Sooryavanshi represents the future, Gayle also reserved special praise for Abhishek Sharma, who has become one of India's most explosive T20 batters and was part of India's successful T20 World Cup-winning squad earlier this year.
Abhishek enjoyed another outstanding IPL campaign and continued to strengthen his reputation as a fearless match-winner at the top of the order.
"We still have Abhishek Sharma, a phenomenal player. The list goes on," Gayle said.
The former West Indies captain believes Indian cricket is blessed with an abundance of talent, making selection increasingly difficult for the national selectors.
"So much talent here in India. It's just going to give the selectors a lot of headache to select a proper team. It's hard to single out one particular player," he remarked.
Kohli and Senior Stars Have Laid the Foundation
Gayle also acknowledged the contribution of senior Indian stars in creating an environment where young cricketers can thrive. "You have legends like Kohli and those guys who set the foundation for these youngsters," Gayle said.
The former IPL icon believes the current crop is benefiting from the standards established by players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and other senior stars, who helped transform India into one of the strongest white-ball teams in the world.
Football Fanatic Gayle Following FIFA Closely
Away from cricket, Gayle revealed that football remains his first sporting love and that he has been closely following the FIFA World Cup.
"As a sports fanatic, I love football. I love watching football even more than cricket, to be honest with you," Gayle said.
The former opener recalled attending the Argentina versus France World Cup final and admitted that global football tournaments continue to captivate him.
"It's World Cup time now, so hopefully I'm looking forward to seeing some great games," he added.
Universe Boss Calls for Support for Big Cricket League
As one of the marquee attractions of the Big Cricket League, Gayle also urged fans to support the tournament and embrace the emerging talent on display.
"Hopefully, the fans will come out and support the league. There are some phenomenal youngsters here, so it will be nice to see some support for the Big Cricket League," Gayle said.
With legends like Gayle lending their support and India's next generation of stars continuing to emerge, the future of cricket appears brighter than ever. And if the Universe Boss is to be believed, players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma may soon be rewriting records that even he once thought were untouchable.
