Jos Buttler raves about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s talent, says 'he’s the best I’ve ever seen': 'Was in awe of his shots'

Jos Buttler was full of praise for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, hailing the youngster’s extraordinary talent and fearless approach at such a young age.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 14 years old, has rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting young names in cricket. The left-hander first grabbed national attention with a sensational century on IPL debut last season, showcasing rare composure and fearless strokeplay against seasoned bowlers. He recently underlined his immense promise by playing a starring role in India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph, finishing as the tournament’s leading performer with 439 runs and earning the Player of the Tournament honour. His remarkable 175 in the final not only sealed India’s victory but also rewrote the record books, including the most sixes in a single Under-19 World Cup innings. Sooryavanshi cleared the ropes with 15 sixes, surpassing the previous mark of 12 set by Australia’s Michael Hill. With such extraordinary feats at a tender age, excitement continues to grow around his potential progression towards the senior Indian setup.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the Player of the Tournament at the U19 World Cup. (BCCI Images)

England white-ball star Jos Buttler was full of praise for teenage sensation Sooryavanshi, hailing the youngster’s extraordinary talent and fearless approach at such a young age. Impressed by the prodigy’s rapid rise and record-breaking performances, Buttler didn’t hold back in expressing his admiration, even calling him the best player he has ever seen at this stage of development.

“My statement about Sooryavanshi is: he’s the best player I’ve ever seen. If he’s doing that at 14, what’s he going to be doing at 16, 18, or 20?” Buttler said on the For The Love Of Cricket podcast.

“I was in awe of Sooryavanshi's shots”: Jos Buttler

Recalling his first close look at Sooryavanshi during the IPL, Buttler spoke about being left stunned by the teenager’s fearless strokeplay against a high-quality bowling attack, which included the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Rashid Khan in it, before later watching his breathtaking Under-19 World Cup final knock that further underlined the youngster’s extraordinary talent.

“I played in the game where he got 100 in the IPL. Even as a 14-year-old at that point, playing against an attack of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Rashid Khan—proper bowling attacks—I was in awe of these shots. The bat flow, the distance he’s hitting the ball, that fearlessness… and I must say, the England boys played so well throughout that whole Under-19 World Cup. They went unbeaten into the final, and then you run into Sooryavanshi, who scores 175 in the end with 14 fours and 15 sixes. I was watching it on TV thinking these are not just any old shots; they’re some of the best shots you’ve ever seen," he added.