Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is considered to be next Virat Kohli | PC- AFP
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma heading towards the twilight of their careers, India are looking for their next poster boy. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is one name that is making the waves as India's next big thing, but Wasim Jaffer has another theory about the next Kohli.
The 15-year-old recently made his international debut in England, but he couldn't do much in his first three appearances. He started off the innings in his Bam, Bam, Bosh fashion, but he couldn't keep up with the English bowlers targeting him with short deliveries into the body.
That said, the sensational opener will be backed by the team management in the three-match T20Is vs Zimbabwe, starting on Thursday.
Wasim Jaffer puts puts KL Rahul on same pedestal as Virat Kohli
Recently, while talking on a talkshow, the former Test batter, Wasim Jaffer, compared KL Rahul with Virat Kohli, putting the style batter at par with the legendary cricketer in terms of talent and quality.
However, the cricket-turned-pundit stated Kohli's elite mentality is the differing factor between the two stylish batters.
"KL is a top-class player who plays all three formats remarkably well. Technically sound, composed, and level-headed. In terms of pure talent and quality, I genuinely believe he is at par with Virat Kohli, but it is Virat's elite mentality that creates that ultimate separation between KL and Virat," Wasim Jaffer said on Doordarshan's The Great Indian Cricket Show.
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Kohli and Rahul have a head-and-shoulders difference in terms of stats.
The 37-year-old, who has retired from Tests and T20Is, has 28,359 runs in international sport, with 85 centuries and 148 fifties. Meanwhile, the 34-year-old batter has yet to surpass the 10K-run mark, with 9830 runs, including 22 tons and 62 half-centuries.
That said, both of them are supremely talented and can win India matches on their day.
How has Vaibhav Sooryavanshi become an influential figure?
When Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retire, KL Rahul will become India's most experienced batter across formats. In Tests and ODIs, the wicketkeeper batter is and will remain the mainstay of the batting order.
However, the phenomenon named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi might overshadow him to become India’s next Kohli. At 15, the prodigal batter has broken all records with his gung-ho style of batting.
In IPL 2026, the southpaw tonked 776 runs in 16 innings at a berserk strike rate of nearly 240, singlehandedly taking Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs. In the two knockout games, he missed out on centuries but batted like a dream on both occasions.
Sooryavanshi’s IPL exploits fast-tracked him into the Indian scheme of things, as he has already debuted in T20I cricket and become an influential figure.
What's next for KL Rahul?
KL Rahul currently features only in Tests and ODIs, but in both the longer formats, his contributions are tremendous.
In the recent few years, he has been the most reliable in the longest format, scoring big runs in tough situations.
Meanwhile, in the 50-over format, the top-order batter adjusted and agreed to bat in the middle order as a keeper/finisher just for the team.
That said, Rahul has a bad reputation for not performing on bigger occasions, which he would like to debunk in the upcoming marquee events.
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