Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been one of the best upcoming talents for India. The 14-year-old explosive opener has been brilliant since his debut in the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) for Rajasthan Royals and showcased his excellence in the recently concluded U-19 World Cup, as India defeated England to win the trophy for the sixth time.
Everyone has been impressed with the talent of the young opener. Former England captain Jos Buttler has praised the Southpaw. Speaking on the Love for Cricket podcast, Buttler called him the best player and has been shocked by the way he has been batting at the age of 14, and sees a bright future in the upcoming years.
Jos Buttler is impressed with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Jos Buttler said, about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, “My statement is he’s the best player I’ve ever seen, ’cause I’m like, who else was doing this at 14 years old?” Buttler said. “If he’s doing that at 14, what’s he gonna be doing at 16, 18, 20?”
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Buttler was also joined by England pacer Mark Wood on the podcast, admitting the comment made by Jos Buttler was a bold one, replying, “That’s a pretty big statement from you.” He then asked whether Sooryavanshi could become an absolute superstar for India or if he would be derailed by the early expectations.
Jos Buttler, however, backed the youngster’s potential. He also pointed out that Sooryavanshi has already delivered on bigger stages like the IPL and the U-19 World Cup final as well. Buttler said, “I don’t see how he can’t be. He’s already played… he’s got a hundred in the IPL. He hit his first ball in the IPL for six.”
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a game-changer
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been excellent in the U-19 World Cup final against the three lions. He smashed a 80 ball 175 against them in the final, and while he was batting, India’s projected score was showing over 500. The left-handed opener smashed 15 fours and as many sixes in his explosive innings and took the game away from England in the final.
He earned the Player of the Tournament and the Player of the Match award for his excellent performance in the final and throughout the tournament. The Bihar-born cricketer finished the tournament with 439 runs, averaging around 62.7 and a strike rate of 169.49, scoring three fifties and one century.
Vaibhav made a record at IPL
Vaibhav made history at the IPL 2025 auction, becoming the youngest player ever to sign an IPL contract at the age of 13. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the record for the youngest player to score a century in the IPL. He achieved the milestone against Jos Buttler’s franchise Gujarat Titans, so Buttler has seen that explosive innings of 101 runs off just 38 balls very closely.
He will surely be one of the players to watch out for in the upcoming IPL season as well. The young batter also became the youngest-ever centurion in men’s T20 cricket and recorded the second-fastest IPL century ever, reached in just 35 deliveries.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to replace Rohit Sharma for 2027 World Cup? India great makes colossal demand