The momentum around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is showing no signs of fading. At just 15 years old, the Rajasthan Royals batter became the dominant name of IPL 2026, consistently outshining most of the opposition with a string of eye-catching innings. In 16 matches, he amassed 776 runs to finish as the tournament\u2019s top run-getter, while also collecting multiple accolades that reflected how quickly he has made an impact at the highest level. With admiration and bold predictions continuing to follow him, former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has now thrown his weight behind an even bigger future for the youngster.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Wisden, Modi backed Sooryavanshi to reach the rarest milestone in T20 cricket\u2014a double century\u2014and suggested the teenager could rise beyond sport into mainstream stardom. Modi said he expects the batter to deliver a 200 and urged him to keep his focus away from distractions, adding that he believes Sooryavanshi can become the leading superstar on the planet, larger than any film icon from Hollywood or Bollywood. \u201cI am looking forward to that day (Sooryavanshi’s double ton). You will make a 200. I promise you. Don’t let money get into your head. You will become the number one superstar on the planet, bigger than any Hollywood and Bollywood star on the planet,\u201d Modi remarked.<\/p>\n
Modi also addressed a wider pattern he believes is shaping modern cricket. He argued that younger players increasingly choose franchise and domestic competitions over Test cricket and international commitments, and he called it the correct direction rather than a problem. To support his view, Modi pointed to parallels from other major leagues\u2014citing the NBA in basketball and the Premier League in football\u2014where athletes naturally gravitate towards the biggest platforms instead of traditional team pathways. \u201cSimple as that. 100 per cent it’s a good thing. You may hate me but I don’t care. But, this is the future. Nobody talks about playing for the United States basketball team. They want to play for the NBA. Nobody talks about playing for England first and not for Manchester City. This is going to be the order of the day. Get real with it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While Modi\u2019s comments have been steeped in optimism, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar offered a more cautious angle when discussing Sooryavanshi\u2019s next steps. Manjrekar suggested that if and when the call-up comes, the teenager would likely be part of a queue behind the established options, naming Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. However, he stressed that it would be better to see Sooryavanshi first in batting conditions resembling the IPL before expecting similar output on foreign tours. \u201cVaibhav would be the next in line after the incumbents, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. But I would like to see Vaibhav play in similar batting conditions to those in the IPL, if they pick him for India at all,\u201d Manjrekar told Sportstar.<\/p>\n
Manjrekar elaborated on why he thinks a straight jump to overseas conditions could be risky. He specifically referenced pitches in places like New Zealand and South Africa, suggesting the adjustment period might not be as smooth as it has been in IPL settings. \u201cWould not be a great idea to put him straight into, you know, foreign kind of, on a foreign pitch, like New Zealand, South Africa, we will see. He might go out there and repeat what he has done in the IPL,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The momentum around Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is showing no signs of fading. At just 15 years old, the Rajasthan Royals batter became the dominant name of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi\u2019s Rise with Rajasthan Royals","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2026 teen star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shines for Rajasthan Royals, piling up 776 runs and top honors\u2014Lalit Modi backing fuels the hype further.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n