‘Even my wife is watching’: Srikkanth says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is making cricket exciting again

East Zone’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi plays a shot during a Duleep Trophy match. (PTI photo) NEW DELHI: Former India opener Kris Srikkanth believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the potential to become one of the biggest names in world cricket, with the teenage sensation already creating an unusual level of excitement in the game.Sooryavanshi, just 15 years old, continued his rapid rise by making a name for himself in the Duleep Trophy after already setting the IPL and international stages on fire. But for Srikkanth, the youngster’s impact goes beyond numbers – he makes people tune in to cricket they might otherwise overlook.“He is playing exceptionally well. He needs to be encouraged and never discouraged. If he is molded right, he will be a superstar in the making. He will bring Test cricket back to its glory. Everyone watched the Duleep Trophy because of him. Even my wife watches because of him. He will be a great asset to World cricket in the future,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

“He’s going to be a superstar in the making”

Sooryavanshi has certainly given the fans a lot to see. After failing to hit the ground running in East Zone’s quarter-final win over North East Zone, he responded strongly against Central Zone in the semi-finals.The teenager smashed 92 off 81 balls in the first innings before contributing a decisive 40 in the final innings as East Zone secured a four-wicket victory to book their place in the final.At 15 years and 157 days, Sooryavanshi became the youngest batsman to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history, breaking the 57-year-old record.Srikkanth has been particularly impressed with his fearless approach in red-ball cricket and believes there is no reason to doubt his ability to make the jump to the top level.“He bowled unbelievably well. How can people even doubt that this boy is capable of playing top-level cricket? He can play every level of cricket and will soon rule world cricket in all formats. He smashes the medium-pacers without fear of straight sixes in red-ball cricket. He plays with the bowlers,” he said.

From IPL sensation to Indian star

Sooryavanshi’s rise has been extraordinary. His breakthrough IPL 2026 campaign with Rajasthan Royals saw him score 776 runs in 16 matches at a staggering strike rate of 237.30, including a century and five fifties. His 72 sixes were an IPL record in a single season, while he collected the Orange Cap, Most Valuable Player, Emerging Player, Super Striker and Super Sixes awards.He subsequently became India’s youngest men’s international debutant during the T20I series against England. Against Zimbabwe, he scored 151 runs in three matches to help India complete a 3–0 draw and claim his first Player of the Series award.His influence also extended to age group cricket. Earlier this year, Sooryavanshi amassed 439 runs in the Under-19 World Cup and was named player of the tournament.The BCCI is now taking a cautious and long-term approach to its development. Minister Devajit Saikia said the board is keeping a close eye on the teenager and wants his early success to translate into a career similar to those of past Indian legends.“We want Vaibhav Sooryavanshi or any player of his stature to go on and serve like Sachin Tendulkar for the country or other players who became legends in the past,” Saikia said.“So we are looking at Vaibhav very seriously. He is being watched from every angle and every step he takes in his international career. BCCI is looking very closely at his future.”The board’s priority, Saikia stressed, is to ensure that Sooryavanshi’s rise is not just a brief burst of teenage brilliance.“You see, BCCI can be proud that we are supporting a 15-year-old player who is already establishing himself in the international scenario and we are very careful to take every right step forward so that it is not a one-series or one-year wonder,” he said.But for now, Srikkanth sees something even bigger taking shape – a youngster whose fearless cricket makes people sit up and watch.