The Indian Premier League 2026 begins in six days, and if there’s one player fans can’t wait to catch a glimpse of, it’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The teenager, who turns 15 on Friday, returns to the Rajasthan Royals a year after setting the IPL on fire with a swashbuckling 35-ball century. Over the past year, Sooryavanshi has taken the world by storm, smashing centuries in Australia, South Africa and England, and even winning the Under-19 World Cup. But his true test begins in a few days, with several bowlers believed to have spotted his weakness and figured him out.
Sooryavanshi promises a bright future. He can be a maverick, a trailblazer, and perhaps even a future legend. However, according to Jitesh Sharma, the one thing he may never be is a ‘professional’. The RCB wicketkeeper-batter, who captained Sooryavanshi in the India A Asia Cup last year, said he would happily invest a million dollars in the teenager. Yet, when AB de Villiers asked him about Sooryavanshi’s exploits, Jitesh differed from the South African great and asserted that the youngster may never be fully professional in his off-field approach.
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“Right now, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. I feel he can dominate world cricket. He has gear No. 6 and a very good set of skills,” said Jitesh when asked to name one youngster he would invest a million dollars in.
De Villiers insisted he is a fan of the youngster, having watched him decimate South Africa in the Under-19 World Cup final, where Sooryavanshi bludgeoned 175 to help India clinch the title. What impressed AB de Villiers the most was how he built on his IPL 2025 form and approached every tournament with the same intensity. A regular feature in India’s Under-19 setup, Sooryavanshi also left de Villiers in awe with the freedom and fluency he brings to his game.
“He’s a great player. I watched him in the Under-19s. It’s not always easy when you get the taste of IPL and big cricket, and still show the same kind of standard. I was very impressed with the way he played in that World Cup. Very professional. He’s very mature for his age,” said the former South Africa captain.
“I’m talking about the way he played. He still kept to his game plan. He played the same way he played the IPL. Didn’t try to be something else. He wasn’t arrogant against the bowlers. But he will get professional.”
But Jitesh shared a different perspective on ABD’s ‘professional’ stance. “He’s not professional. I can tell you that. Everyone is trying to get him to be professional, but I don’t think he will ever get professional. He may be on the field, but off the field, he won’t. I’m trying my best. I ask him not to have ice-cream in the night,” he added.
