Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a remarkable start to his international career at just 15 years old. The young batter won the IPL Orange Cap in 2026 after scoring 776 runs across 16 innings, and he blazed an unbeaten 175 off 80 balls in the Under-19 World Cup final, striking 15 fours and 15 sixes. He made his international debut for India in the T20I series against England in July 2026 and has earned recognition as one of Indian cricket’s brightest emerging talents.
Despite his early success, legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has sounded a note of caution about the teenager’s future prospects. Kapil said that while Sooryavanshi possesses considerable ability, history shows that talent alone does not guarantee a sustained career at the highest level. The 1983 World Cup-winning captain drew a direct parallel to illustrate his point.
“It’s too early. Does he have the ability? Yes. But there have been so many in cricket who came with so much ability, then faded out,” Kapil told Times of India.
“Look at Vinod Kambli. What we will say about that?” the 1983 ODI World Cup-winning captain added.
Why Kapil Dev cited Vinod Kambli’s example
Kapil emphasised that time and personal development would be more telling indicators than immediate performance metrics. The former all-rounder stressed the importance of maturity and lifestyle choices in determining a player’s trajectory at international level.
“Vaibhav is 15 years old. Give him another three years, then we will talk. When his lifestyle changes, his thinking too will change. Then we’ll come to know how he will look after the next two years. That is more important than looking at his performance,” Kapil said.
His remarks underscored that early success in domestic tournaments and youth competitions does not necessarily predict sustained excellence in international cricket.
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Sooryavanshi is currently waiting for his opportunity behind the established opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson in the T20I squad. It will be interesting to see if Sooryavanshi gets to play the second T20I against the West Indies on Friday, October 9.
