Vaibhav Sooryavanshi talented like Tendulkar, Kohli but give him time: Kapil Dev

India’s World Cup captain Kapil Dev has heaped praise on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying the youngster has the kind of raw talent he once saw in Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. At the same time, Kapil warned against the growing hype surrounding the 15-year-old, insisting that Indian cricket must give him enough time to develop before judging his career.

Sooryavanshi has emerged as one of the brightest young prospects in world cricket after a remarkable rise. The Bihar-born left-hander grabbed headlines after becoming the youngest player to make his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals before taking the tournament by storm with his fearless batting.

The teenager enjoyed a memorable IPL 2025 campaign, scoring 252 runs in seven matches at an average of 36 and a strike rate of over 206. He carried that form into IPL 2026 where he finished as the tournament’s top scorer and won the Orange Cap. His outstanding performances earned him his first invitation to India for the T20I series against Ireland and England.

In an interview with Sports Tak, Kapil admitted that he only watched glimpses of Sooryavanshi but was convinced of the youngster’s immense potential.

“I haven’t watched him that much, just bits and pieces. From what I’ve seen, he’s definitely a huge talent. But I think he’s being talked about a lot at the moment. Give him time. Don’t build him up so much. At such a young age, he probably doesn’t fully understand himself and what he’s capable of,” said Kapil.

Kapil Dev on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi:

* Sooryavanshi is as talented as Virat and Sachin
* There is more hype around Vaibhav than Sachin (1988-89)
* Is it too early? I would rather ask if it is too late for him to make his debut in India
* But don’t overhype or apply undue pressure
Full — Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) July 3, 2026

KAPIL WANTS SOORYAVANSHI TO PROVE HIMSELF WITHIN FORMATS

Comparing Sooryavanshi’s natural ability with Tendulkar and Kohli, Kapil emphasized that the teenager’s real test will be outside of T20 cricket, where temperament and technique are tested over a longer period.

“But if you’re talking purely about talent, then yes, he’s as good as Sachin and Virat Kohli. That’s the level of talent you can see in him, but in T20 cricket. He still has to prove himself in other formats. Will he be able to hit a maiden over five on the day he plays Test cricket? That’s the question,” Kapil said.

The former India captain reiterated that success in the shortest format alone cannot define a player’s career and that adapting to red-ball cricket requires a different mindset.

“Someone like Virender Sehwag might not think so, but that’s how cricket works. As far as T20 cricket goes, I think he’s been fabulous. To make that kind of impact at such a young age, you won’t find even one per cent of people in the world who are capable of that,” Kapil added.

Sooryavanshi is currently touring the UK with the Indian team. The left-handed batsman did not make his international debut during India’s 0-2 T20I series defeat against Ireland and was also left out of the playing eleven for the opening T20I against England at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on July 1.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

03 Jul 2026 17:52 IST