“Don't Know If Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Will Last”- AB de Villiers Throws Open Challenge

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and AB de Villiers [Source: AFP]

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi seems to be making some rapid strides in competitive cricket. Ever since he burst onto the IPL scene back in 2025 last year at a tender age of 14, the youngster has since smashed IPL centuries, shattered List A records and won India an Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe.

Sooryavanshi has also seemingly become the new poster boy of Indian cricket, and rightly so. Amidst his ever-growing popularity, former South African captain AB de Villiers recently played down the hype surrounding the youngster as he believes that the Rajasthan Royals opener still has a long way to go in proving himself.

AB de Villiers ‘not sure’ about Sooryavanshi’s longevity

RCB ‘Hall of Famer’ AB de Villiers is not sure about the longevity of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While the former South African praised the Indian youngster, the Proteas legend added that he is yet to prove himself in other formats of the game like Test cricket.

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While speaking with Stuart Broad and Jos Buttler on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast, Villiers said “I don’t know if he’s going to last, to be honest. That’s what I tell my brothers and friends. At this age, it’s just absolutely incredible. We know the talent is there, but I would like to see him in other formats. In Test cricket, he doesn’t get to know what you’re in for.”

ABD wants to see Sooryavanshi playing Tests

AB de Villiers added that while a tougher road awaits Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in his journey, the 15-year-old has it in him to overcome all obstacles. The former South Africa skipper also stated that he wants to see Sooryavanshi playing Test cricket for India in the future.

AB de Villiers said “Does he have the talent to counter all the obstacles that might come his way? Definitely, but it won’t be an easy ride. It will be a rocky road. I hope he goes that route and plays Test cricket for his country. I would love to see that journey unfold.”

When Sanjay Manjrekar gave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a reality check

Earlier this month, outspoken cricket expert and former India player Sanjay Manjrekar also questioned the abilities of Rajasthan Royals opener despite his immense IPL success. While speaking on Sportstar, Manjrekar claimed that the youngster has not done enough to warrant a place in India’s Test side.

He said “If you want your kid to be famous and rich, T20 batting is for you. If you want him to get the respect of people like us, the critics, then get him to get close to the line of the ball.”

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026 so far

Playing only his second IPL season, and his first since becoming an Under-19 World Cup winner, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has so far minted 440 runs in just 11 innings of IPL 2026 at a prolific average of 38.44.

The cricketer is also striking the ball at 236.55, and has plundered a fiery century and two additional fifty-plus scores in the process.

He along with the rest of his Rajasthan Royals colleagues will now face the Delhi Capitals on Sunday, May 17 later this weekend. The match will be hosted by the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

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