‘Imagine the pressure at 15’: Jos Buttler opens up on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fever

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo) Royal Challengers Bengaluru may have retained the IPL trophy, but according to former England captain and Gujarat Titans wicketkeeper Jose Buttler, one teenager overshadowed every other storyline in the tournament. Reflecting on the recently concluded IPL 2026 season in the For The Love of Cricket YouTube podcast, Buttler praised 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, whose remarkable campaign has captivated cricket fans across the globe. Discussing RCB’s successful title defense and defeat of Gujarat Titans in the final, Buttler made it clear that Sooryavanshi’s performances stood above all else. “RCB won the trophy and they are the story of the IPL. But Vaibhav is almost the story of the IPL this year. He is the story of the tournament. MVP, 700+ runs and faster than everyone else. It was amazing to watch,” he said. Although Rajasthan Royals were not involved in the title fight, Sooryavanshi was present at the Narendra Modi Stadium for the final on Sunday. The teenage sensation watched the match alongside ICC chairman Jay Shah before picking up five major individual awards in a record-breaking season. His numbers reflected the extent of his dominance. Sooryavanshi amassed 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.3 during the season and crossed the ropes 72 times. His performances earned him the Orange Cap, the Most Valuable Player Award, the Rookie Award, the Super Striker Award and the distinction of finishing as the tournament’s top six player. Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad believes the youngster’s influence has already extended far beyond the boundaries of the IPL. Broad suggested that Sooryavanshi could be the first cricketer to achieve global fame before earning an international cap. “I said in my last podcast that I couldn’t see a player becoming an international star without playing international cricket. In England, people talk about him. They might not even be IPL fans, but they say, ‘Oh my God, have you seen Sooryavanshi? He’s incredible.’ He became a world star. Not like Kohli or anything, but he is probably the first player to become a world star without playing international cricket,” said Broad. Buttler also revealed how Sooryavanshi gained immense popularity in India. He recalled the Rajasthan Royals match in Kolkata and said the crowd’s support for the teenager could not be ignored. “His influence in India is huge. He is the guy everyone is talking about. I was talking to former Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale who told me that in Kolkata half the stadium turned up to watch Vaibhav and everyone was wearing his RR jersey.” “Imagine the pressure at 15 when you get off the bus and see that, but he soaked it all up. And when he bats, I don’t know if Rajasthan Royals did it or the tournament, but there’s a song for him, this Sooryavanshi song, that comes on when he bats you.” The former England captain then admitted he would like to see the teenager included in India’s squad for next month’s five-match T20I series in England, although the prospect may not be welcomed by England’s bowlers. “I hope to see him in England. Well, maybe not for our bowlers. But it will be worth it because you can see it among the players and the support staff. Everyone is interested and I want to see the lad.” Whether that opportunity will come remains uncertain. Sooryavanshi is set to feature in the upcoming India A one-day tri-series, which the competition’s selectors are said to see as an important assessment ahead of discussions about a possible T20I debut during the England tour.