AB de Villiers Makes Bold Prediction on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s Future

AB de Villiers believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could enjoy a long T20 career but questioned how he would adapt to Test cricket.

AB de Villiers shared a candid assessment of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s future after the youngster’s explosive performances in IPL 2026. The former South Africa captain praised the batter’s talent but admitted Test cricket could become a difficult challenge for him in the coming years.

Sooryavanshi has enjoyed a great season, scoring 440 runs in 11 innings at an average of 40 and an astonishing strike rate of 236.56. The youngster first grabbed attention after smashing a century against Gujarat Titans during IPL 2025 and has continued dominating bowlers since then.

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Speaking on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, de Villiers suggested that Sooryavanshi could enjoy a long and successful career if he focused mainly on T20 cricket.

However, the South African great also said the batter possesses enough talent to overcome future challenges in ODI and Test cricket, although he expects the transition to become mentally and physically demanding.

“I don’t know how he is going to last to be honest. At his age, the talent is incredible. But I would like to see him in other formats. In Test cricket, he doesn’t yet know what he is in for. A lot of things will change unless someone, who is a really good manager, tells him to be a T20 specialist for the rest of his life. If that’s all he plays, it’ll be a very long and successful career,” de Villiers said.

“If he does start nibbling around with ODIs and in particular, Test cricket, he will discover a whole different area of his cricket mentally and physically. He definitely has the talent to overcome all the obstacles that may come his way. But it will not be an easy ride, and it’ll be a rocky road. I hope he goes that route and tries to play Test cricket for his country,” he added.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 Numbers

Meanwhile, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is continuing his rise in IPL 2026 after becoming one of Rajasthan Royals’ biggest match-winners this season. The 15-year-old opener scored 440 runs in 11 innings at an average of 40 and a staggering strike rate of 236.56.

Sooryavanshi smashed 38 fours and 40 sixes during the tournament while also registering one century and two half-centuries. His best knock came against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he blasted 103 runs off just 37 balls after hitting four consecutive sixes in the opening over.

The youngster also produced two 15-ball fifties, including a crucial innings against Chennai Super Kings.

Another major highlight arrived when Sooryavanshi became the fastest batter in IPL history to complete 400 runs in a season by balls faced, reaching the milestone in only 167 deliveries.