Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara is one of the legends of cricket. The veteran Sri Lankan batter scripted several records across formats in international cricket. He recently hailed the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
He is one of the commentators in the ongoing third Test match between England and New Zealand, and he recalled the breathtaking and terrifying display of the new sensation of cricket.
In IPL 2026, the southpaw scored 776 runs and won the Orange Cap. He broke several records and dominated the star bowlers. Sangakkara opened up on his conversation during the match against the Lucknow Super Giants.
Chasing a target of 221 runs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, a match RR had to win to keep their playoff chances alive. However, the opener was not under pressure.
“We were playing against the Lucknow Super Giants. They needed to defend 220. Our chase was about to start. Vaibhav was going out to open the innings. He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, don’t worry. It’s done.”
He was done yet and spoke to his teammates before heading to the middle.
“He walked inside the dressing room and told Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, ‘I am going to hit 13 sixed today. After that, you complete the job.”
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was unstoppable and amassed 93 runs off just 38 balls. He hit 10 sixes before getting dismissed.
“Donovan and Lhuan-dre thought he was joking,” Sangakkara mentioned.
“When he reached the five-sixes mark, they started counting, thinking he would actually hit 15 sixes. That’s the confidence Vaibhav has in his abilities.”
Sooryavanshi became the fastest batter in T20 history to complete 1000 runs in terms of balls (440) and also the first player to post 500 runs in the powerplay overs in a single edition of the tournament.
With his match-winning contributions, the fans started expecting sensational outcomes in every game.
Sangakkara believes Vaibhav is capable of handling any pressure. “He will have his chances in cricket and commercials. It will be important for him to handle the fame, and the role of his family will be vital in this aspect.
“I can say for sure that he loves batting and the game. The fame and success don’t impact him. He is a grounded lad and wants to improve,” he mentioned.
Sanagakkara revealed that Sooryavanshi looked forward to life outside the cricket field and knew about his responsibilities.
“He doesn’t live and breathe cricket all the time. He looks for other things as well. He will be a force to reckon with in the near future. He is in a good place, and he will be able to deal with everything.”
In the tri-series final between India A and Sri Lanka A, he scored 94 runs off 29 balls. His 11-ball fifty is the fastest in the history of List A cricket. Vaibhav is currently in the UK with the senior Indian team for the T20I matches against Ireland and England. In the series opener, he was not included in the playing XI as the team management decided to open with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
If he makes his debut in the next game on June 28, he will become the youngest male player to debut for the Men in Blue in an international assignment, going past the 37-year-old record of Sachin Tendulkar.
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