AB de Villiers has offered a thoughtful, slightly cautionary take on Rajasthan Royals’ rising teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, praising the explosive impact he has made in T20 cricket while stressing that his future will be shaped by how he handles the broader requirements of multi-format play.
AB de Villiers’ warning as Sooryavanshi’s IPL surge continues
Speaking on the “For The Love of Cricket” podcast with former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, the former South Africa great said Sooryavanshi’s power and instincts are striking, but that the next phase of his growth will demand more than just short-format fireworks.
- De Villiers noted that Sooryavanshi has taken the IPL by storm this season, accumulating 440 runs across 11 innings.
- He highlighted the batting returns: an average of 40.00 and a strike rate of 236.55, underlining how quickly the teenager scores.
- He pointed to the manner of impact as well, with one century and two half-centuries, including fearless hitting against top-tier bowling attacks led by Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
- He acknowledged that the performances have sparked talk of an India T20I promotion, reflecting how quickly Sooryavanshi has captured attention.
Still, de Villiers urged patience, arguing that Sooryavanshi’s long-form base—particularly in red-ball cricket—remains at an early stage. He contrasted the IPL dominance with first-class output, where the Royals teenager has managed 207 runs from eight matches and 12 innings, at an average of 17.25, including only one half-century.
“I do not know how he is going to last, to be honest. At his age, the talent is incredible. But I would like to see him in other formats. In Test cricket, he doesn’t yet know what he is in for. A lot of things will change unless someone, who is a really good manager, tells him to be a T20 specialist for the rest of his life. If that’s all he plays, it’ll be a very long and successful career,” de Villiers said.
Why Tests and ODIs could unlock a different version of his game
De Villiers believes that exposure to ODI cricket—and especially Test cricket—could reveal additional strengths for Sooryavanshi, both in mindset and physical approach, even if the transition is not smooth.
“If he does start nibbling around with ODIs and, in particular, Test cricket, he will discover a whole different area of his cricket mentally and physically. He definitely has the talent to overcome all the obstacles that may come his way. But it will not be an easy ride, and it will be a rocky road. I hope he goes that route and tries to play Test cricket for his country,” he added.
Sooryavanshi’s junior and franchise numbers that fuel ‘generational’ talk
The debate around Sooryavanshi’s next step is largely driven by his record across youth and franchise pathways, with his statistics frequently framed as evidence of a rare batting ceiling.
At the recent U19 World Cup, he finished as the second-highest run-scorer, striking 439 runs in seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49. His tournament included a century and three fifties, with a highest score of 175. He also smashed 30 sixes, breaking Dewald Brevis’ previous mark of 18 sixes set in the 2022 edition—an all-time U19 World Cup record for maximums.
Across his U19 ODI career, Sooryavanshi has built a substantial tally of 1,412 runs in 25 innings, posting an average of 56.48 while maintaining a strike rate above 165. The run-scoring has featured four centuries and seven fifties, with a best score of 175.
In T20 cricket overall, the 15-year-old has scored 1,105 runs in 28 matches, averaging 40.92 with a strike rate of 215.39. His T20 record includes four centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 144. In List A cricket, he has 353 runs from eight innings at 44.12, striking at 164.95, with one century and one fifty, and a highest score of 190.
De Villiers’ bottom line: talent is clear, format challenge is the real test
As speculation grows over whether Sooryavanshi should be moved quickly into India’s T20I mix, de Villiers’ message remains consistent: the talent is undeniable, but the true measure will arrive once he steps into longer and tougher formats that demand patience, adaptation and endurance.
