New Delhi [India], May 16 (ANI): Delhi Capitals batting coach Ian Bell hailed Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and called his talent “absolutely scary” ahead of both teams’ clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season on Sunday.
Sooryavanshi is currently the ninth-highest run-scorer in IPL 2026 and has impressed everyone with his fearless batting. In 11 innings, he has scored 440 runs at an average of 40.00 and a strike rate of 236.55, including a century and two half-centuries.
His fearless assault on top-quality pacers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has sparked discussions about whether he should be fast-tracked into India’s T20I squad.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the DC vs RR IPL 2026 match, Ian Bell praised the young cricketer.
“He is a fantastic young player. The talent is absolutely scary. And we want to get him out early. When you play Rajasthan Royals, he is the prized wicket, and you want to get him out early, as you know the damage he can do if he stays at the crease long enough,” Bell said.
Bell said that the key challenge for any young cricketer is continuous improvement, as opponents in international and IPL cricket quickly develop strategies using extensive analysis and footage. He praised Sooryavanshi’s natural talent and noted that he is well supported by experienced mentors like Trevor Penney and Kumar Sangakkara in the RR setup. Bell added that it is only a matter of time before Sooryavanshi represents India and said he enjoys watching him bat from a neutral perspective.
“The challenge for any young player is to keep evolving. In international cricket and IPL cricket, people will come up with plans; there’s more knowledge and more videos. He has got so much natural talent and has got good people around him — Trevor Penney and Sangakkara, who can guide him well. And I am sure it is only a matter of time before we see him with India as well. From a neutral point of view, it is nice to watch him bat,” Bell added.
Sooryavanshi also made his mark at the U19 WC this year, where he ended up as the second-highest run-getter with 439 runs in seven matches at an average of 62.71 and a strike rate of 169.49, with a century and three fifties and a best score of 175. He smacked a record-breaking 30 sixes in the competition, surpassing South Africa’s Dewald Brevis’ 18 sixes in the 2022 edition by miles. (ANI)
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