The lack of craze around the Indian Premier League 2026 isn’t limited only to India. It’s not being followed as much as in the previous years in countries across the world. Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, has confirmed that the IPL hasn’t drawn enough crowds back home, but despite the dip in buzz, one player has trumped the entire league’s popularity in the UK.
And his name is Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Talk about hype. When was the last time the world went gaga over a 15-year-old? Possibly back in 1987, when a young Sachin Tendulkar was bursting onto the scene. It’s taken almost 30 years for the next teen sensation to capture the imagination of the cricketing world, but it’s finally here in the form of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He increasingly grabs more eyeballs with every passing match, and as his legacy continues to grow, it’s understandable why calls for his India debut are growing louder.
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“Not just in India, I reckon it’s happening around the world. I got messages from back home today saying that, over the last few weeks, the IPL hasn’t been watched as much in the UK as it used to be. But there’s one person everyone tunes in for, and that’s this kid. The moment he walks out to bat and gets going, people switch on their television screens. Let’s be brutally honest here. If he was 18, 19 or 20, he would already be playing for India. The only thing stopping him is his age,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
“If you are picking an opening batting combination from this IPL season, who has been the best opener in the competition so far? In my opinion, it’s the young lad. I understand what India are trying to do. They are trying to protect him because he is so young. But he warrants a place in the national team, especially in 20-overs cricket. In 50-overs cricket, you could argue he still has a bit to learn because he hasn’t played much of it. But in T20 cricket, he is the best opening batter India have right now. He should be in the national team. And he clearly showed us why with the way he played.”
Power-hitting not Sooryavanshi’s only unique ability
What makes Sooryavanshi unique, apart from his extraordinary power hitting, is his ability to captivate audiences. The moment he walks out to bat, he becomes the centre of attention. With the teenager just six sixes away from equalling, and seven from surpassing the great Chris Gayle, Vaughan is confident that Sooryavanshi may have already overtaken the Universe Boss in another metric.
“I don’t know how many balls he has faced in comparison. I guarantee that this young chap is a lot higher than Chris Gayle in terms of percentage. He’s a joy to watch. We sit in the green room, and we watch the game. As soon as he’s batting, everyone just goes like that. No one’s on the phone. You’re just watching every single ball that he faces,” Vaughan pointed out
