Former New Zealand batter Simon Doull has urged India to move quickly on the next wave of talent, arguing that Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is close to earning a regular spot in the country’s international squads—and even floated the possibility of him opening the batting in Test cricket.
Sooryavanshi’s rise and Doull’s bold Test call
- During a discussion on Sky Sports on the opening day of the first Test between England and New Zealand on Thursday, the topic shifted to Sooryavanshi and whether he could one day operate as an opener in the longest format.
- The presenter suggested, “Open the batting with Sooryavanshi. Can you imagine seeing that in Test match cricket?”
- Doull responded that it “can’t be far away,” signalling his belief that Sooryavanshi’s progression could happen sooner than most would expect.
Sooryavanshi’s case for rapid elevation is rooted in his standout campaign in IPL 2026, where the Rajasthan Royals batter swept multiple end-of-season prizes. He was named the Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, won the Orange Cap, and also received the Super Sixes of the Season award.
The Bihar-born batter finished as the tournament’s leading run-getter, compiling 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30. His season also included a tally of 72 sixes—an IPL record for the number of maximums in a single campaign—along with several other milestones that placed him firmly among the defining performers in the league’s recent history.
At just 15 years and 65 days old, Sooryavanshi became the youngest ever Orange Cap winner in IPL history. The previous benchmark had been held by Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan, who won the award at 23 years and 231 days in 2025. Shubman Gill had set the earlier record in 2023, claiming it at 23 years and 263 days.
While chasing Virat Kohli’s record of four centuries in one IPL season, Sooryavanshi came close. He struck one century against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but he was dismissed in the nineties on three further occasions: scoring 93 against Lucknow Super Giants, then 97 in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and 96 in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans.
Sooryavanshi also established pace records as his IPL numbers accelerated. He became the quickest player to reach 1,000 IPL runs by balls faced, getting there in 440 deliveries and passing West Indies batter Andre Russell. In terms of innings, he reached the milestone in 23 appearances, making him the second-fastest overall—behind Shaun Marsh, who arrived at 1,000 runs in just 21 innings.
Doull praised the scale of Sooryavanshi’s achievement, saying, “It’s extraordinary. It’s phenomenal. Watching that leading run scorer in the tournament—it was just phenomenal for a 16-year-old kid.” He added that the sheer number of awards only underlined how exceptional the season had been.
Looking ahead, Doull insisted India should secure a pathway for Sooryavanshi across their national teams. “I don’t know who they replace, but yeah they got to find room for him somewhere in some of those teams,” he said, reinforcing the idea that the youngster’s momentum should translate into international opportunities without delay.
