'He will wait for...': Alastair Cook praises 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
What's the story
Former England captain Alastair Cook has praised the 15-year-old Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for his unique batting style. Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, Cook said that Sooryavanshi's reaction time against pace is what sets him apart from other players. He noted that even top hitters usually have premeditated plans and specific 'slots' where they feel confident hitting the bowler.
Unique skill
Reaction time and unique batting style
Cook emphasized that Sooryavanshi is willing to wait for even the fastest balls, showing an exceptional reaction time. He said, "But with him, you bowl five balls, and he'll wait for a ball at 159km per hour, then react to it and still hit it for six. So cleanly." This unique skill was on full display during IPL 2026, where Sooryavanshi scored 776 runs at a strike rate of 237.30 with 72 sixes.
Off-field insights
Sooryavanshi's laid-back approach
In the same podcast, former England captain Michael Vaughan shared an interesting encounter with Sooryavanshi during the 2026 IPL season. He asked the young prodigy about his match preparation only to be surprised by his answer: "Watching cartoons." Vaughan was also taken aback when Sooryavanshi said he doesn't train and eats everything. "I said - 'there's the modern player.' Watch a cartoon, eat what you want, smack it out of the ground," added Vaughan.
Run
Sooryavanshi sweeps awards
Sooryavanshi's bravado led Rajasthan Royals (RR) to the IPL 2026 playoffs. After the final, the youngster walked out with five individual awards. He won the Orange Cap for scoring 776 runs, the Super Striker award for his strike rate of 237.3, the Most Sixes award for hitting a record 72 sixes in a single IPL season, the Most Valuable Player award, and the Emerging Player award.