Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have finished IPL 2026 with a long list of records, but the 15-year-old batting sensation insists his biggest dream is still ahead of him.
Days after earning his maiden India call-up,
Sooryavanshi revealed that while his explosive T20 batting has grabbed headlines, his ultimate ambition is to become an all-format cricketer for India.
Sooryavanshi smashed 776 runs in 16 matches at a breathtaking strike rate of 237.30, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-scorer and becoming the youngest-ever Orange Cap winner.
And as his reward, the teenage prodigy was named in India’s T20I squad on Saturday. If selected in the playing XI, Sooryavanshi will become the youngest player to represent the Indian men’s team, surpassing the mark set by Sachin Tendulkar, who made his international debut at 16 years and 205 days in 1989.
Dreaming Beyond T20 Cricket
Despite establishing himself as one of the most destructive batters in the shortest format, Sooryavanshi says he has no intention of limiting himself to T20 cricket.
“It’s just that a lot of people think—I mean, he (Gavaskar) also brought up the topic—about whether I want to play red-ball cricket or not,” Vaibhav said in an interview with Rajasthan Royals.
The youngster was quick to clarify that red-ball cricket remains a major part of his development.
“I have practiced a lot with the red ball, and I still do. I have also played a lot of red-ball cricket for my state, and I still play it. And I want to play red-ball cricket because I practice it,” he added.
Sooryavanshi believes adapting his game across formats is part of becoming a complete cricketer.
“The reason I bat this way in this format is that this is what’s needed in this format. What’s needed in red-ball, I will change my batting that way. What’s needed in ODIs, I will change it that way.
“So, my dream is to play all three formats. As for the rest, God knows.”
