Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Ready To Play For India? Kumar Sangakkara's Verdict Can't Be Missed

As the Rajasthan Royals fumbled on the penultimate hurdle in their pursuit of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 title, head coach Kumar Sangakkara couldn't be prouder of how his boys applied themselves in the middle, getting as far as Qualifier 2. However, it was the Gujarat Titans side which emerged triumphant on Friday, securing a seven-wicket win to enter the final. Speaking to the media in the press conference after the match, Sangakkara was asked the most trending question in the cricketing universe at present: "Is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ready for his senior India debut?" The coach didn't mince his words, but he also dropped an interesting reply.

Sangakkara, who has been with Rajasthan since 2021, said that one can't be sure if a player deserves an international cap until he or she actually gets it. But, in the case of Sooryavanshi, the former Sri Lanka captain is leaning towards a yes, having seen him thrash some of the finest bowlers in the world this IPL.

"I think you never know if anyone's ready until they play. With everything Vaibhav's shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he's more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him. And I'm sure that he'll get that call-up very, very soon. He's batted with a lot of maturity. He shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well for us this season," Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara was also asked how he and the rest of the support staff at Rajasthan shield Vaibhav from social media, considering the sort of negative impact it can create on a player, especially on a teenager like him.

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"We've got a good plan around him. We don't clutter his mind too much. He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens, and he does a lot of homework. He practises well, and he reads bowlers well. He watches their videos and prepares himself really well. So, we don't want to put any unnecessary thoughts into his head. I think a clear mind, batting with that courage, is exactly what we want to see from him," he said.

Sooryavanshi ends his IPL 2026 campaign with the Orange Cap on his head, having aggregated 776 runs in 16 matches. However, the likes of Shubman Gill (722) and Sai Sudharsan (710) still have a chance to leapfrog the Rajasthan Royals star in the tally when they feature in the final on Sunday.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Kishan Kumar Singh Kumar Sangakkara Rajasthan Royals Gujarat Titans India Cricket Team IPL 2026 Cricket