File photo of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Head coach of Rajasthan Royals Kumar Sangakkara said that the young man was “more than ready” for an India call-up.
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
For the duration of IPL 2026, Kumar Sangakkara, who fulfilled the dual responsibility of head coach and Director of Cricket for Rajasthan Royals, had a ringside view of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s game. Having observed the 15-year-old make another giant leap after the promise of his debut campaign in 2025, the former Sri Lanka skipper said Sooryavanshi was “more than ready” for an India call-up.
The cherubic southpaw’s next assignment is a 50-over tri-series for India-A in Sri Lanka from June 9 to 21. Once that concludes, there is an irresistible case for the teenager to be handed a senior T20I call-up. India has two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and 28, followed by a five-match series versus England from July 1 to 11.
“Yeah, I mean, you never know if anyone’s ready until they play. But with everything Vaibhav has shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he’s more than ready to take on any challenge you throw at him. And I’m sure that he’ll get that call-up very, very soon. He’s batted with a lot of maturity,” Sangakkara told reporters after RR’s defeat to Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
Sooryavanshi’s second IPL season ended with a mind-boggling tally of 776 runs. On Friday (May 29, 2026), the Titans attack came up with a concerted short-ball ploy led by the pair of Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, but the youngster showed substance along with style in an innings of 96 off 47 balls.
“It was a much tougher innings with wickets falling around him. He reads the game really well, and he’s got no fear,” Sangakkara noted.
Published – May 30, 2026 10:33 am IST
