Sunil Gavaskar Will Remember IPL 2026 For This Explosive Batter. Not Virat Kohli Or Shubman Gill
Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for Rajasthan Royals young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season.
Legendary Indian cricket team batter Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for Rajasthan Royals young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season. While RR were unable to reach the final, Sooryavanshi impressed everyone with his fearless brand of cricket and he ended up winning the Orange Cap with 776 runs at a strike rate of over 220. When asked about what will be the defining memory of the season for him, Gavaskar pointed out that the 15-year-old has been the story of this year's IPL and he also hailed his stunning achievement of slamming 72 sixes in a single IPL season.
“What I'll remember, of course, is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi batting the way that he did, hitting 72 sixes, scoring 500 runs in the powerplay itself. I mean, that is a phenomenal achievement by a 15-year-old. And that just augurs well for Indian cricket in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, former India chief selector MSK Prasad termed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a "super talent" and "best in the world in T20 cricket', saying he should immediately be considered for the Ireland series to be held later this month.
"He is not just a prodigy or a super talent. He is already among the best in the world in T20 cricket. He should be fast tracked immediately into the Indian side. He should be picked for the Ireland series which happens after the India A tri series in Sri Lanka," Prasad told PTI in an exclusive interview from his hometown on Monday morning.
"I think, it's nicely poised for him to be drafted into the senior Indian team. I think he is going to flourish in the India A tri series in Sri Lanka as well. See, there is no point holding him back. He is going to play for India soon and he is going to play for a long time," the former India wicket-keeper batter predicted.
"Playing India A and then playing for India is usually the norm but playing high pressure IPL among the best in the world is the best way to get into the Indian side. I think the selectors are also thinking on the same line. It's just a matter of time that he will play for India and will play for a long time," he reiterated.
The former India cricketer though had a word of caution for him and advised him to improve his fitness.
"It's good to see that in a post match interaction he said on Sunday that he needs to improve his fitness. He has been under the tutelage of NCA for quite some time now. See he is only 15. He should be carefully handled and looked after. He should be carefully monitored.
"I feel he should be under the tutelage of (VVS) Laxman or (Rahul) Dravid for sometime. They are the guys who can keep him humble. At this stage it's needed to shape his career in the right manner," Prasad said.
(With agency inputs)
Sunil Gavaskar
Rajasthan Royals
Royal Challengers Bengaluru