Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Rajasthan Royals’ teenage batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, suggesting that it would come as no surprise if the youngster goes on to represent India in all three formats in the years ahead. Ashwin’s comments came during coverage on JioHotstar, following RR’s 77-run setback against Gujarat Titans in their IPL 2026 match at Jaipur on Saturday.
Even though Rajasthan suffered a heavy defeat, Sooryavanshi again stood out for the way he approached his innings—brave, direct, and overflowing with attacking intent right from the top of the order. At only 15 years of age, he has quickly established himself as the defining breakout figure of IPL 2026, turning heads with performances that blend fearless shot-making with an increasing sense of control.
Across the current season so far, Vaibhav has amassed 440 runs in 11 matches, striking at an extraordinary 236.56 while holding a batting average of 40.00. Those figures have made him the leading run-scorer for Rajasthan Royals. His most impressive knock has been a rapid 103 off just 37 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad—an innings that not only underlined his explosiveness but also marked the second-fastest IPL century by an Indian batter.
Sooryavanshi’s rise has also been reflected in record books. He became the quickest player in IPL history to reach 400 runs in a single season, reaching the mark in only 167 deliveries. He also set a new benchmark for the most sixes hit during IPL powerplays in one campaign, smashing 32 maximums in the early overs.
More recently, he reached another major milestone in T20 cricket by becoming the youngest and fastest batter to notch 100 T20 sixes, achieving the feat in just 514 balls. In his most recent appearance against Gujarat Titans, he continued to bat with the same fearless energy, smashing a quick 36 off 16 deliveries. The knock included a six off the very first ball he faced, underlining how aggressively he likes to set the tone.
Former India spinner Ashwin described the 15-year-old as a “box-office player,” pointing to the confidence and entertainment value he brings every time he takes strike. In his explanation, Ashwin said: “He is leaving no stone unturned, putting every ounce of force he can into the cricket ball. The way he played, even in the U-19 World Cup final, putting everything together, he is looking like a box-office player. There are very few windows in your cricketing career where you can absolutely enjoy your cricket, and he is only 15 years old. I think we should just let him be. There is no point asking him to do things he shouldn’t be doing at this stage of his career.”
Reinforcing his belief in Sooryavanshi’s future, Ashwin added that the teenager’s attacking mindset and overall skill set suggest he could thrive across formats for India. “He is taking every bowler down. I wouldn’t mind watching him in a Test match, and I wouldn’t mind watching him in all three formats of the game. Get him onto cricket grounds, get people coming along, because he is going to entertain you,” Ashwin said.
