Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s India buzz crosses borders, Pakistan backs call-up: ‘He will get his chance after IPL'

Former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal endorses 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an India T20 team spot post-IPL 2026.

Updated on: Apr 1, 2026, 18:10:34 IST

Written by Probuddha Bhattacharjee

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has backed Rajasthan Royals teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an India call-up after the IPL, saying the 15-year-old has already shown enough to enter the senior T20 conversation. The remarks come as Sooryavanshi’s start to IPL 2026 has turned him into one of the tournament’s biggest talking points.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fields during the men's Under-19 Asia Cup 2024. (AFP)

Kamran Akmal backs Sooryavanshi for India call-up

Speaking on the YouTube show Gameplan, Kamran Akmal said: “In just 8 IPL games, he has been piling records - he already has a hundred. I think in the coming international games for India, he will get a chance after IPL. He will become a young player of the T20 international team. He has proved himself in every place. If he continues to perform, he will definitely get the chance.”

Akmal also highlighted the range and maturity in Sooryavanshi’s batting. “His presence of mind, game awareness, the way he plays - he has a counter to everything at such a young age. This is remarkable … We are discussing his performance more because it was a match of 128. But his performance is visible because he scored 50 runs on 15 balls,” he said.

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The numbers behind the growing buzz

Sooryavanshi has grown in stature since his claim to fame in the last edition of the Indian Premier League. He grabbed attention with his batting in age-group and domestic cricket. However, the two biggest flashpoints of his short career are an IPL century and an ultra-aggressive 175 in the U-19 World Cup final.

His latest major statement came against the Chennai Super Kings. He blasted 52 off 17 balls, reached his fifty in just 15 deliveries, and helped Rajasthan Royals chase 128 in only 12.1 overs. The innings included five sixes and four fours and came in a 75-run opening stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had already entered IPL 2026 with serious attention around him. Ahead of IPL 2026, he was reportedly one of the standout young names of the tournament.

Akmal also credited the people behind the teenager’s rise. “His family and his father should be proud - the way he has worked with him, the way the others, too, like coaches who have taught him in school cricket, in club cricket,” he said. He then added: “I am afraid - when he is 25, the bowlers will not know what to do with him.”

The wider conversation has also grown beyond Akmal’s remarks. Former India players Mohammad Kaif and Piyush Chawla have backed a quicker move, while Ambati Rayudu has urged caution, given the competition for places in India’s T20 side. That has left Sooryavanshi at the centre of one of IPL 2026’s earliest debates.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Probuddha Bhattacharjee
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More

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