At just 15, and in only his second IPL season, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi nearly swept all the batting awards on Sunday night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In a season where he scored 776 runs at a breathtaking strike rate of 237.31, Sooryavanshi not only won the Emerging Player award but also took home the Orange Cap, the Super Striker award and the Most Valuable Player honour.
But Sooryavanshi is not done yet.
After a record-breaking IPL season, the Rajasthan Royals prodigy has already set his sights on what he considers the ultimate challenge of his career.
Sooryavanshi was the breakout star of IPL 2026. The left-hander dismantled some of the world’s best bowlers with remarkable ease while also showing maturity in high-pressure situations. His performances sparked discussions around an India call-up and even whether he has the game to succeed across formats.
While the clamour around an India debut continues to grow, Sooryavanshi is already looking beyond T20 cricket.
Speaking to the broadcaster after the final, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans, former India spinner R Ashwin joked that there was one batting award Sooryavanshi missed out on — the award for hitting the most fours in the season — and asked whether he had any plans of keeping the ball on the ground.
Sooryavanshi responded by saying fans would soon see a different side of his batting during the upcoming India A assignments before revealing that he has also been putting in significant work with the red ball. While Sooryavanshi did not disclose the details of his practice, he hinted at exciting things that lie ahead.
“Yes, I will have to play on the ground because the next assignment is in a one-day format,” he said. “I have practised a lot with a red ball, but no one has seen me do that, but they will soon.”
When pressed further about his Test cricket ambitions by Harbhajan Singh, Sooryavanshi clarified that while he has become known for his six-hitting ability, it is not the only aspect of his game.
“People think I love to hit every ball, but this is the T20 format, and coaches give me a free hand to go all guns blazing. And I hit the ball only because I know I can hit them, and it isn’t out of compulsion.
“I want to play Test cricket, obviously, because my father also taught me that it is the ultimate format, and I have played it as well. I’m yet to play many games, though. I played Ranji Trophy cricket but did not get too many opportunities, and it was challenging for me. But I am going to keep working on that aspect of my game,” he said.
His comments came a day after Sachin Tendulkar endorsed him for Test cricket at an award ceremony in Mumbai in the presence of BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
“I would tell him to just be himself,” Tendulkar said. “There is always a first time. In Test cricket, along with age, he will learn how to deal with various challenges. It’s about having a solution-oriented mindset. Problems are always going to be there. The bowler is asking a question every ball. Now, what solutions do you find?
“The way he sees the ball and the way he responds to that, if that signal is interrupted — if you put a lot of hurdles in between that by telling him multiple things — that’s where the real challenge would be. I would give him the freedom to go out and bat the way he does. Along with time, he will learn to deal with other challenges of the game.”
Sooryavanshi has played just eight first-class matches since making his debut for Bihar in January 2024. In 12 innings, he has scored 207 runs with one half-century. He has also shown promise at junior level, notably smashing a 58-ball century for India U-19 against Australia last year.
