Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the toast of the town, with the teenager becoming the youngest to earn a call-up to the senior Indian men’s cricket team after a record-breaking season in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The achievement itself followed him powering India to victory in the U19 World Cup with a record-breaking century in the final. He has managed all this while still being 15 years old, which means that if he makes his debut, he will break Sachin Tendulkar’s record for being the youngest Indian debutant of all time in men’s cricket.
Tendulkar was aged 16 when he faced Pakistan in his first Test in November 1989 in Karachi. Kapil Dev was player of the match in that Test, which ended in a draw, and legendary former India captain said that while he is excited by what he has seen of Sooryavanshi, fans and those around him should avoid expecting too much too soon. “He is a special talent, give him time, but he definitely showed the talent that he has,” said Kapil on PTI.
“I think he is unbelievable, but again, he will have to conduct himself (in the Indian team), have to keep himself fit, and a lot of other things are going to happen when you are part of the national team. How much he is focused, only he can answer, but to me, he is a special talent.”
Kapil believes Sooryavanshi will soon learn the difference between playing for club and country. Sooryavanshi became the youngest to win the Orange Cap in the IPL this season, having scored 776 runs in 16 innings at a scarcely believable strike rate of 237.30 and average of 48.50 with one century and five half-centuries.
Kapil Dev said that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi deserves respect for what he has achieved, but he shouldn’t be saddled with expectations. “There’s nothing wrong with giving respect to the young kid, but expecting too much at this stage would be wrong; he has just been included in the team. He will understand that club cricket is totally different from playing for your country, it’s a different thought process so give him time, don’t start expecting too much, just give him time,” he stressed.
