Shami praises Sooryavanshi [Source: X]Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may be only 15, but the teenager has impressed his teammates with his understanding of the game and his ability to play match-winning knocks. His batting style and composure have caught everyone's attention, including veteran Indian seamer Mohammed Shami.The duo recently played together for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 tournament, and their team captured the trophy for just the third time in history.Shami in awe of Sooryavanshi's abilities, cheekily praises himAfter the Duleep Trophy final win, Shami was in awe of Sooryavanshi, as the experienced Indian seamer praised the teenage boy by cheekily stating that the youngster isn't even equal to his career, and here's why."I thoroughly enjoyed it. The kid in our team (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi) is literally as old as my career. He has that youthful innocence, loves to joke around, and absorbs things quickly," Shami said.The Bengal pacer also added that the IPL has given exposure to these youngsters, and the tournament has certainly accelerated their development."But most of these youngsters are already quite mature. With the level of cricket they play today-featuring in the IPL and other high-pressure tournaments—maturity comes early, so you don't need to over-coach them," Shami added.How IPL shaped Sooryavanshi's career, as Shami statedHow many players get an opportunity to play in the IPL at the age of 13? Sooryavanshi was the first one, and he could very well be the last. The Rajasthan Royals scouted the Samastipur-born player and drafted him into their side ahead of IPL 2025.Some of the world’s best players take part in the IPL, and playing alongside and against them helped the left-handed batter to develop his batting skills.Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Achieves What Sourav Ganguly And MS Dhoni Couldn't In Duleep TrophyHe played seven games in IPL 2025, and the youngster smashed 252 runs, with a strike rate of 206.56. IPL matches are all about absorbing pressure, and Sooryavanshi certainly did that in the following season when the expectations were high for him.He had his breakout moment in IPL 2026, when the 15-year-old boy finished as the leading run-getter in the tournament (776 runs), with an astonishing strike rate of 237.31. He almost single-handedly dragged RR into the playoffs and swept away numerous IPL awards.He tore down experienced bowlers with ease, and the pressure of delivering in the IPL helped him to get mature at an early age.Sooryavanshi, Shami played a big part in East Zone's Duleep Trophy winEast Zone won three consecutive matches to be crowned the Duleep Trophy 2026 champions, and Shami and Sooryavanshi played a big part in the win.The left-handed opener failed in the quarters against North East Zone, but he lit up the stage with a breathtaking 92 and 40 in the semis against the Central Zone.He carried forward the momentum in the finals against South Zone and gave his team a quickfire start with a brisk 44 in the first innings.On the other hand, Shami was economical in the quarterfinals, and the right-arm pacer bagged 5 wickets in the semis to break the Central Zone batting backbone.In the finals, he scalped 2 more wickets on a flat track, including the big wicket of Ravichandran Smaran.Also Read: Team India's Security Lapse Happens In Delhi Before Afghanistan T20Is
