'Very soon': Kumar Sangakkara backs Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for international call-up
What's the story
Rajasthan Royals (RR) coach Kumar Sangakkara has backed young prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for an international call-up. The endorsement comes after a stellar season by the 15-year-old in IPL 2026. Sooryavanshi scored an impressive 776 runs across 16 innings at a strike rate of 237.30, with most of his runs coming from boundaries alone. As many as 72 of his sixes have come in IPL 2026. No other batter has scored even 60 sixes in an edition.
Resilience
RR coach impressed with Sooryavanshi's mental strength
In the Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Titans (GT), Sooryavanshi displayed his resilience by scoring 96 off 47 balls despite wickets falling around him. Sangakkara praised the young talent's clarity and composure under pressure. He said, "We don't clutter his mind too much. He comes to all our team meetings, he contributes, he listens, and he does a lot of homework." Despite Sooryavanshi's efforts, GT chased down the 215-run target to knock RR out.
Endorsement
Sangakkara confident of Sooryavanshi's international prospects
Sangakkara praised Sooryavanshi's maturity and responsibility as an opener in the team. He said, "With everything Vaibhav's shown against some of the best bowlers in the world, I think he's more than ready to take on any challenge that you throw at him." "I'm sure that he'll get that call-up very, very soon," the Sri Lankan legend further added.
Transition
Rookie bowlers transition into IPL
Sangakkara also spoke about the transition of their rookie bowlers Brijesh Sharma and Yash Raj Punja into IPL from state-run T20 competitions. He was pleased with how they blended with the seniors in the tournament. The RR coach said, "I think everyone should be extremely proud of themselves." He added that despite not making it to the final, he couldn't be prouder of his team.
Leadership
Sangakkara praises Riyan Parag's leadership skills
Sangakkara also praised Riyan Parag's leadership skills in his first full season as an IPL captain. He backed him to level up next year, saying, "I thought Riyan's first season as captain was excellent. He really managed his team well." The RR coach emphasized that despite the challenges faced this season, they have a lot more potential and will come back stronger next year.