Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja managed their own injuries in the latter stages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIn IPL 2026, Sooryavanshi amassed 776 runs across 16 innings, striking at 237.30. A major chunk of that production came through boundaries, with 684 of his runs registered in that manner.<\/p>\n
Speaking after RR went down in Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans, Sangakkara made it clear he expects Sooryavanshi to receive an international call-up soon. \u201cWith everything Vaibhav has shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I believe he\u2019s more than prepared for any challenge ahead,\u201d Sangakkara said. He also highlighted the maturity Sooryavanshi displayed and the way he carried the opening stand with responsibility throughout the season.<\/p>\n
Surviving the short-ball barrage<\/h3>\n
On Saturday in New Chandigarh, Gujarat\u2019s pace attack used a short-ball approach on a wicket described as two-paced. Sooryavanshi had to negotiate that early pressure, but once he found his rhythm, he continued to battle even as wickets fell around him.<\/p>\n
Despite the changing match situation, the teenager produced 96 off 47 balls, solving problems as the innings progressed. Sangakkara praised the clarity in his decision-making and the composure he showed when the pressure rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a good plan around him,\u201d Sangakkara said. \u201cWe don\u2019t overcrowd his mind with too many thoughts. He attends our team meetings, offers input, listens closely, and does a lot of preparation. He practises well and he studies bowlers\u2014watching their footage and getting himself ready\u2014so we don\u2019t want to add anything unnecessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that the coaching staff wanted Sooryavanshi to keep the mindset that has served him well: \u201cA calm mind and batting with that courage is exactly what we want to see from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
RR\u2019s run to the business end of the tournament came with plenty of complications. Sam Curran missed the entire season because of injury, while captain Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja also had to manage their fitness during the closing stages of IPL 2026.<\/p>\n
In that context, Sangakkara was particularly pleased with the way rookie bowlers Brijesh Sharma and Yash Raj Punja transitioned into Rajasthan\u2019s setup. He pointed to their shift from state-level T20 cricket into the IPL environment, and how they blended with the senior players rather than being overwhelmed by the jump in intensity.<\/p>\n
Rookies, leadership, and a season that overachieved<\/h3>\n
Sangakkara urged everyone involved to take pride in the collective effort. \u201cEveryone should be extremely proud of themselves,\u201d he said. He singled out Yash for a strong campaign and Brijesh for a very good one, while also noting the contributions of others across the group, from Parag to Dhruv Jurel, who can sometimes go unnoticed. He also referenced Donovan Ferreira in the middle overs, Jofra Archer, Jadeja, and Shubham Dubey in a number of matches for RR.<\/p>\n
He continued by stressing the team\u2019s trajectory. \u201cFrom where we were last season\u2014ninth\u2014to get here, dragging ourselves into contention, is a terrific sign,\u201d Sangakkara said. \u201cThere\u2019s still more to come from these players, but I can\u2019t be prouder of this group than I am right now. They\u2019re a wonderful set of guys\u2014highly skilled\u2014and they worked incredibly hard to reach the stage they reached. Unfortunately, we couldn\u2019t get to the final.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sangakkara was also encouraged by Parag\u2019s captaincy in his first full IPL season. He backed the skipper to take another step forward next year after what he called an excellent learning curve.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Riyan\u2019s first season as captain was excellent,\u201d Sangakkara said. \u201cHe handled the team really well and managed his on-field decisions strongly. He\u2019ll grow and learn, and so will the other players\u2014and we\u2019ll come back better.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that RR began the campaign without much belief from outside circles. \u201cI don\u2019t think many people gave us a chance to qualify for the playoffs when we started,\u201d Sangakkara said. \u201cBut it shows that if you work hard, play good cricket, and enjoy the game, you can create something special.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is ready for the next step after a standout IPL campaign. Having seen the 15-year-old batter…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Sangakkara Backs Sooryavanshi for IPL 2026 International Call-Up","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Kumar Sangakkara says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi\u2019s IPL form could fast-track his international debut, highlighting his explosive runs and fearless strike rate.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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