Rajkumar Sharma, who was Virat Kohli’s coach during his childhood days, called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a special cricketer and explained what makes him stand out from other players of his age.

Sooryavanshi took the cricket fraternity by storm during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, as he finished with a whopping 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31. He won the Orange Cap and also became the Most Valuable Player (MVP).

“Well, he is an exceptional talent undoubtedly. I mean, the way he has played in this IPL is remarkable. The way he has hit all the first-class, international and world-class bowlers, that is commendable and I must say that he is a special talent. I really find Vaibhav very good. The type of fearless cricket he plays and the way he has hit world-class bowlers is commendable. The way he has hit those sixes is just unbelievable, for T20 cricket, he is just brilliant,” Sharma was quoted as saying by India Today.

Sharma said that Sooryavanshi shouldn’t change his game while playing T20 cricket as everything is working well for him. However, he refused to comment on the 15-year-old’s future in Test cricket as he hasn’t seen much of him till now.

“Since he is playing T20, I would say don’t change anything. Just go and play like this, the way you are playing. You are playing tremendous cricket and the way you are hitting, keep on hitting the ball and entertaining the people. When it comes to playing Test cricket, I haven’t seen enough of him to judge how mature he is, how he can change his game, how he can leave the ball outside the off stump or how he can play swing bowling. But for now, I want him to continue the way he is playing,” Sharma stated.

Sharma, however, urged caution when it came to comparisons with Kohli, who he has seen from close quarters since the legendary batter’s childhood days.

“I don’t believe in comparing people. What Virat has done in the last 18 years, I mean it’s a very long period that he has been so consistent. But looking at Vaibhav, he looks very good, a very talented guy and he has got good temperament also, which he showed in the last game. So, I mean he is a brilliant talent undoubtedly, but we have just seen him playing in this format only. We are yet to see him play in bigger formats, maybe Test cricket or One-Day cricket,” Sharma explained.

“Virat is a different player (from Sooryavanshi). He is a legend now. He is a great player, which he has proved by winning so many matches. No Indian has won as many matches for India as Virat has, and that is why he is loved so much. Here we see a rising star (Sooryavanshi) and we really love to see him grow,” he added.

Sharma also mentioned that Sooryavanshi’s fitness should not be viewed as a concern and he will only get better as his career progresses.

“No, fitness will come. He is still a baby and he has got superpower. That is the brilliant thing about him,” Sharma said.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has become a household name now with his exemplary performances with the bat during the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The Bihar batter turned 15 years old one day before the start of the tournament and celebrated it by smashing bowlers all over the park over the next few weeks.

Sooryavanshi eventually finished the campaign with a staggering 776 runs in 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.31. In the Eliminator, he smashed 97 off 29 balls and followed it up with a 47-ball 96 in Qualifier 2. The southpaw earned rich praise from the legendary Sachin Tendulkar after his heroics during the season.

The Master Blaster said that Sooryavanshi managed to have an influence on matches that extended beyond the runs he scored. Tendulkar opined that opposition teams were planning to get him out and fans were waiting for him to go berserk with his scintillating range of ball striking.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had an influence on games that went beyond the runs he scored. Oppositions were thinking about him, teams were planning for him, and fans were waiting for him long before he arrived at the crease,” Tendulkar wrote in a Reddit post.

“His ability to score rapidly in both the Eliminator and the Qualifier showed that his intent remained unchanged, even as the pressure increased. More importantly, his batting seemed to give Rajasthan Royals an added sense of belief every time he walked out to the middle,” the highest run-scorer in international cricket added.

Sooryavanshi broke Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single season of the IPL. The Caribbean legend had hit 59 sixes in IPL 2012. However, Sooryavanshi better that record convincingly, belting a staggering 72 sixes. The Tajpur-born won the Orange Cap, MVP (Most Valuable Player) award, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, and Super Sixes of the Season.

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 was an action-packed affair with teams jostling for the coveted title. In the end, it was the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who retained the silverware.

The legendary Ravichandran Ashwin picked his best playing XII from the recently concluded tournament during one of his videos on YouTube.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who was the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and Orange Cap winner, got picked as the opener and it was actually a no-brainer. Gujarat Titans’ skipper Shubman Gill, who finished as the second-highest run-getter, was picked as Sooryavanshi’s opening partner.

The talismanic Virat Kohli opened the batting for RCB and had his best season in terms of strike rate. He was also the Player of the Match in the final against the Titans. In Ashwin’s side, he was given the No. 3 position.

Heinrich Klaasen, Rajat Patidar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy formed the middle order in Ashwin’s team. Klaasen was impressive throughout the season for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He aggregated more than 600 runs, which is commendable for a middle-order batter. RCB skipper Patidar also had a pivotal role to play in his team’s triumph.

He led from the front, playing some decisive knocks throughout the season. IPL 2026 didn’t have too many all-rounders producing noteworthy performances. However, Reddy stood out, scoring over 300 runs and picking up eight wickets. He was followed by RCB all-rounder Krunal Pandya, who also had a memorable campaign.

Ashwin’s bowling unit featured a plethora of overseas players. Apart from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the former India spinner went with Jamie Overton, Sunil Narine, and Kagiso Rabada. The cricketer-turned-expert picked Jofra Archer as his overseas player. It is important to mention that Rabada, Bhuvneshar, and Archer were the top three wicket-takers in the tournament, finishing with 29, 28, and 25 wickets, respectively.

Ravichandran Ashwin’s best playing XI of IPL 2026: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Heinrich Klaasen, Rajat Patidar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Krunal Pandya, Jamie Overton, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kagiso Rabada.

Impact Player: Jofra Archer.