![Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for RR [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1782569969788_VaibhavSooryavanshiNewRR.jpg?type=hq)
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for RR [Source: AFP]
Indian sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has earned his maiden T20I call-up for the national side in the Europe tour, where he has been named in the squads for both the Ireland and England series, as he is at it, yet finding a footing to debut.
After the first T20I against Ireland, Kumar Sangakkara, the former Sri Lankan cricketer reiterated teh unveiling of the rare RR gem while also backing him to be one of the dominant 'forces' of world cricket.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Avoids India's Painful Ireland Defeat
India suffered a painful loss against Ireland in the first T20I, where the top as well as the middle order collapsed miserably with no anchors to be found.
Sooryavanshi was not present there, and not that his presence would have mattered much in a collapsing batting order, yet his record says that India's win percentage would have been better if he had been on the team sheet on June 26.
Nevertheless, the Rajasthan Royals star first impressed with his IPL 2025 debut, where he smashed legendary bowlers out of the park like toys.
Sangakkara Spills The Beans On Finding Sooryavanshi
Speaking on his capability and what he is doing now, Kumar Sangakkara shared how the Rajasthan Royals scouting team had faith in the 12-year-old when they first saw him back in 2023.
"In 2023, our analyst Akshay sent us a text about a 12-year-old kid named Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He said the boy was incredibly talented and we needed to have a look.
His coach, Manish Ojha, had told Vaibhav's father that the kid was ready for the big leagues at just 12. We were surprised at first. Thought it was a joke. But Akshay was very sure, so we brought him in," said Sangakkara on Sky Sports.
Adding to the faith from the RR analysts, Kumar Sangakkara and Rahul Dravid took a look at him, and Sooryavanshi was seen destroying Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma in the nets for fun.
Also Read- Not Vaibhav Sooryavanshi! Rajat Patidar Should Be At The Top In India's T20I Priority List
"Rahul Dravid was the head coach at RR then. They watched him for five or six minutes and said, 'We have to buy this lad.' I first saw Vaibhav during a camp in Guwahati. In a small side net, Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma were bowling with the new ball.
No one wanted to bat there. Vaibhav walked in and said, 'I'll bat.' The sound of his bat was like a gunshot. He took on Archer and Sandeep with ease. At one point, Archer just stopped and laughed because this 14-year-old was treating him with utter disdain," Kumar recalled.
Sangakkara Believes Vaibhav Can Be A Generational 'Force' For India Cricket
The immense amount of confidence shown by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was also unbelievable for Sangakkara, as he gave an example of how clear he is in his mind before he walks out to play.
"I have a story from this season that stands out. We were playing against Lucknow Super Giants. They needed to defend 220 to stay alive in the tournament. We fielded first, and as the chase was about to begin, Vaibhav was walking out to open. Before heading to the middle, he looked at me, winked, and said, 'Coach, don't worry. It's done.'"
"Then he walked into the dressing room and told Donovan Ferreira and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 'Listen, you two, I'm going to hit 13 sixes today. After that, you just finish the job.' He ended up hitting 10 sixes in that game.
Adding to the confidence, Sangakkara also revealed how he believes Sooryavanshi to rule the world cricket with his undeniable passion and love for the game.
"But one thing I can say for sure is that Vaibhav loves batting. He loves the game. The fame and flash don't really affect him. He is very grounded and curious about many things. He doesn't just live and breathe cricket all the time.
He has space for other things. I have no doubt he will be a force for Indian cricket, world cricket, and in franchise cricket. Mentally, he is in a good place. I think he will deal with everything that comes with fame very well," he concluded.
Vaibhav's Debut For India Around The Corner?
Nevertheless, Vaibhav's debut is likely on the cards after the first T20I against Ireland turned out to be a disappointing affair for the Men in Blue.
With the June 28 match around the corner, it might see Vaibhav Sooryavanshi become the youngest debutant for the Indian cricket team after Sachin Tendulkar.
How he responds in the match will be a topic of discussion. Nevertheless, before that, in the recent tri-nation series in Sri Lanka, Sooryavanshi made 211 runs from five matches while averaging 42.20 and maintaining a strike rate of 201, one that he is known to maintain usually.
Also Read- Mistakes India Must Rectify To Avoid T20I Series Defeat Vs Ireland
