Sooryavanshi scored 96 off 47 balls in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans, hitting eight fours and seven sixes, but it was not enough as Rajasthan were eliminated by seven wickets.
He missed out on a century for the second consecutive playoff match, having struck 97 off 29 balls in the Eliminator two days earlier.
He finished the season as the leading run-scorer with 776 runs from 16 matches at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.30 – the most destructive batting campaign in IPL history by a teenage player.
Sangakkara was unequivocal about his readiness for international cricket.
“With everything Vaibhav’s shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him,” he said.
“I’m sure that he’ll get that call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity and shouldered the responsibility of that opening partnership so well.”
Sangakkara was equally clear about how Rajasthan have managed his development.
“He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens and he does a lot of homework. A clear mind, batting with that courage is exactly what we want to see of him.”
Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki went even further, placing Sooryavanshi among the best T20 batters in the world right now.
“I’ve not seen anyone bat like the way he bats. In this format, probably he’s right now one of the best batters in the world,” said the former England batter.
Sooryavanshi joined Rajasthan at 13 and scored a 35-ball century on debut in 2025 at age 14. He turns 16 in March.
– AFP
Photo: REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
