“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is the IPL this year.” Those words, delivered with the conviction of someone who has seen the game from close quarters, captured the sheer magnitude of the teenager’s run through IPL 2026. Jos Buttler, reflecting on the season’s defining figure, also revealed a personal hope: that the 15-year-old makes an appearance on India’s upcoming T20I tour of England next month.
Buttler shared his views on the podcast For The Love of Cricket, using IPL 2026 as the backdrop for a wider discussion about how quickly Sooryavanshi has become a phenomenon. He looked back at the final as well, when Gujarat Titans fell to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Even though the trophy-winning campaign naturally dominated conversations, Buttler insisted that the tournament’s true narrative belonged to Sooryavanshi.
“RCB won the trophy and they are the story of the IPL,” Buttler said. “But Vaibhav is nearly the IPL this year. He is the story of the tournament. MVP, 700-plus runs and a quicker strike rate than everyone else. It was special to witness.”
Rajasthan Royals, despite Sooryavanshi’s presence, did not manage to reach the final, yet the teenager still made a notable appearance at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. There, he watched the championship match alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah, before going on to collect an extraordinary haul of individual awards.
Sooryavanshi ended IPL 2026 with 776 runs, striking at 237.3. His power-hitting defined his campaign: he cleared the ropes 72 times in the tournament. The numbers translated into multiple accolades, as he claimed the Orange Cap, the Super Striker award, the Most Valuable Player honour, and the Emerging Player title. He also finished as the leading six-hitter of the season, underlining that his impact was not limited to consistency, but also to game-breaking acceleration at the crease.
Former England pace bowler Stuart Broad added another layer to the hype, suggesting that Sooryavanshi could become a global star even before stepping onto the international stage. Broad said he has never seen a player attain worldwide recognition without first playing international cricket. “In England, people are talking about him,” Broad remarked. “They might not even be IPL followers, but they’re saying, ‘Oh my God, have you seen Sooryavanshi? He’s unbelievable.’ He’s become a world star. Not like Kohli—different path—but he might be the first player to reach that level without having played international cricket.”
Buttler then described how deep the craze has gone, painting a picture of fan obsession that goes beyond normal IPL fandom. He pointed to a match in Kolkata featuring Rajasthan Royals, where he said nearly half the crowd turned out wearing Sooryavanshi’s Royals jersey. Buttler also disclosed that there is now a dedicated song associated with the teenager—played whenever he launches one of his trademark boundary-hitting bursts.
“His impact in India is massive. He is the guy everyone is talking about,” Buttler said. “I spoke with Rajasthan Royals’ former owner Manoj Badale, and he told me that in Kolkata, half the stadium had come to watch Vaibhav, and they were all wearing his RR jersey. Imagine that pressure at 15 when you step off the bus and see that—but he’s absorbed it all. And when he bats, I don’t know whether Rajasthan Royals have done it or the tournament has, but there’s a song for him—the Sooryavanshi song—that comes on when he’s blasting you.”
While the next chapter remains uncertain, Buttler made it clear he would like to see Sooryavanshi in England. He acknowledged that selection and scheduling will shape the opportunity, but said the intrigue around the teenager is universal. “I hope to see him in England,” Buttler said. “Maybe not for our bowlers, but it will be worth it. You can see it among the players and support staff. Everyone is interested, and I really want to watch this guy.”
Whether that hope becomes reality may depend on what Sooryavanshi produces in the India A one-day tri-series that comes next. Selectors had indicated earlier that the tournament could carry real weight in discussions about a possible T20I debut during the England tour, meaning his performances there could be pivotal in turning IPL momentum into international opportunity.
