Virat Kohli's Retirement Blessing In Disguise For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Claims Teammate

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Virat Kohli [Source: AFP]

The IPL 2026 has witnessed batting masterclasses from several players. The likes of Heinrich Klaasen, Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have been incredibly consistent, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Virat Kohli have emerged as prolific performers for their respective teams. 

At one end, we have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has set the IPL 2026 on fire with scintillating stroke-play at just 15. On the other hand, there's Virat Kohli, who hasn't forgotten the art of scoring runs despite being at the twilight of his career. 

Although Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Virat Kohli are polar opposites to each other, what binds them together is their knack for thriving as potent run machines as openers in the IPL. 

Considering Kohli's stellar form, his former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin believes he could've emerged as a competitor for Sooryavanshi, who's rapidly progressing towards his goal of representing the Indian national team. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in line for India debut

Hailed for his clean-striking abilities, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi grabbed the limelight as a teenage batting sensation when he stormed into the India U-19 team. 

Also Read: India 2027 World Cup Squad- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Throws Open Challenge To Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal

He announced his arrival at the biggest stage in his maiden IPL stint with Rajasthan Royals. Sooryavanshi went on to outperform his senior colleagues, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, in the IPL 2026, eventually earning an India-A call-up for the ODI Tri-Series in Sri Lanka. 

Given that the BCCI included Sooryavanshi in the India-A squad, he is believed to be in the scheme of things, as the Indian team management prepares the roadmap to the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 T20 World Cup. 

Virat Kohli's retirement is a blessing for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, R Ashwin feels

As he has proved his mettle in the IPL, the BCCI is considering fast-tracking Sooryavanshi to the senior men's team. However, Ravichandran Ashwin believes Virat Kohli could've been his competitor had he been active as a T20I cricketer. 

"There are so many contenders for opening. You think Virat Kohli doesn't deserve to be there? He is doing so well, but maybe it's lucky for the Indian cricket that he has retired. Otherwise, he would also have been in this conundrum," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. 

"A small kid (Sooryavanshi) has a strike rate of 220. He is special, maybe more special than Shubman Gill. Sanju Samson did well at the T20 World Cup, and nobody can drop him. Abhishek Sharma has been doing great for SRH," he added. 

Notably, Virat Kohli announced his T20I retirement after India's historic T20 World Cup triumph under Rohit Sharma's captaincy in 2024. Despite retiring from T20Is, Kohli continues to succeed in the IPL, showing his readiness to play for the Indian T20I side even at this age. 

The talismanic batter has clobbered 1214 runs at an average of 52.78 and a strike rate of 152.89 since the IPL 2025 season. 

His strike rate is at par with the likes of Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, signifying how Kohli has adapted to the demands of the modern-day game with utmost success. 

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is unique and destined for greatness

Debashis's thoughts

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Virat Kohli are consistently scoring runs in the IPL 2026. However, the approach of both these players has been entirely contrasting. 

Sooryavanshi believes in dealing with boundaries, while Virat Kohli has a typical old-school approach, like a majority of the batters. Sooryavanshi's ability to hit boundaries at will makes him more unique than not only his predecessors but also his competitors. 

Statistically, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has scored 518 out of his 579 IPL 2026 runs through boundaries. This further translates into a whopping boundary percentage of 89.46, the highest for any batter in the tournament. 

As the game has undergone rapid evolution, we believe Sooryavanshi must have tempted the selectors to pick him for the senior T20I team, even if Virat Kohli had remained active as a T20I player. 

Thus, although Kohli would've been in the race for a top-order slot, Sooryavanshi's power-hitting could've positioned him for the opening position in the Indian T20I team. 

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